Stormy Imprint: Second Generation
by IamKate
Summary: Nate Uley has issues. His sister Gracie has rejected her imprint, and Nate imprinted on family nemesis, Meena Black. Worse, Meena's brother and Nate are both Alphas who instinctively hate each other. When rivalries collide, things get stormy.
1. Wedding Heard Around The World

Disclaimer: While the wonderful characters of Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer, this story is based on original characters that I've created. Please do not copy anything without my permission.

**This story is Rated M. Per site rules, if you are under 16, you shouldn't be reading this story. It will contain ****strong language**** and adult themes****. There will also be some dark themes in this story which might be uncomfortable for some readers. You have been warned. **

Other Notes

1) While I typically stick to writing in one POV, this story will contain five. And as this story is about my original characters, I'd really like your feedback.

2) This story is the fifth of my Imprint Saga. The others are, in order: First Imprint (Sam's Story), Early Imprint (Quil's Story), Forbidden Imprint (Embry's Story), and my story that's still in progress, Absent Imprint (Leah's Story). I've also written two one-shots, Tempted Imprint (Collin's POV) and Apologetic Imprint (Paul's POV). While you don't have to read these stories to understand the characters and concepts I've created, it might help you as all my stories are connected. You might find it helpful to have at least read Early Imprint.

Children of Characters

Sam and Emily (Young) Uley – Nate & Gracie

Jacob and Renesmee (Cullen) Black – Gabe & Meena (twins)

Paul and Rachel (Black) Wakeh – Devlin & Sean

Embry and Rebecca (Black) Call – Luke & Maggie

Quil & Claire (Young) Ateara – Kayley

Jared and Kim Becknell – Hanna and Hayley (twins)

Collin and Lindsey Paden - Expecting

And children from three of the seven unnamed wolves from Breaking Dawn:

Mac and Olivia Pachena – Jason, Lucy, Joe, Alison

Rafe and Manda Elwah – Arabella, Taurin, Maya

William Samson – Kyran

* * *

**Stormy Imprint (Second Generation)**

_My only love sprung from my only hate. To early seen unknown and known to late. Prodigious birth of love it is to me. That I must love a loathed enemy._

_Romeo & Juliet_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 1 – Wedding Heard Around The World**

_April 29, 2023_

Nate's POV

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked Devlin Wakeh and watched him jump.

We were in the kitchen of the reception hall pigging out on leftover food. Earlier today, I watched my cousin, Claire Young, get married to the love of her life, Quil Ateara. Those two had been through hell together, but they'd made it and now were joined forever in the bonds of holy matrimony.

Claire had lived with my parents, Sam and Emily Uley, since she was 15. In the five years she had stayed with us, she had become an older sister to me. I was glad for the happiness she had finally found with Quil.

And yet, I'd been feeling unsettled all day, but couldn't put my finger on why. There was a nagging at the base of my neck that wouldn't ease up. I decided to solve my restlessness by doing what I did best…eating. But Dev's fidgeting was getting on my already agitated nerves.

Devlin was the son of Paul Wakeh, a former wolf. He was also the great-great grandson of Ephraim Black, thanks to his mother Rachel's side of the family. He had phased a few months ago and joined the pack.

For all intents and purposes, Devlin could have been our Alpha. It was in his blood after all. But the rightful heir, his uncle Jacob Black, had turned his back on the Quileute pack a long time ago. We don't pick and choose who becomes Alpha. The power has to develop naturally. And the power was never given to Devlin. Instead, I got it.

My father had been the first wolf of his generation and was made Alpha by the powers that be. When Jacob had refused to accept his rightful role, my father retained his Alpha power which I then inherited. My pack was a mix of older wolves from my father's generation and newer wolves from mine.

It was funny. The Uleys were never supposed to be Alphas. It shouldn't have been my responsibility. But after Jake imprinted on a half vampire named Renesmee Cullen, his fate and mine had pretty much been sealed.

Jake had broken off from my father's pack before I was born and created a new one, although that pack had dissolved several years ago. Jake and his family were currently living in Vermont with the Cullen coven, though he and his wife Renesmee came back for the wedding. I knew he had a couple of kids who'd also come back with them.

Apparently, I used to follow Jake's daughter around when I was a kid, but I didn't remember her. Neither she nor her twin brother had made an appearance at the wedding, though I'd overhead Jake say that both were expected at the reception. I rubbed the back of my neck as my restlessness got worse. Maybe my uneasiness was due to the fact that Jake's half-breed family was running around on my rez. Although they weren't full leeches, vampires, especially Cullen vampires, weren't exactly welcome here even with our truce.

The Cullens were the reason a majority of my father's generation changed into wolves in the first place. Anytime a leech was around, it triggered the magic in our blood which caused us to phase. Though the Cullens moved away years ago, we still had bloodsuckers occasionally come to the area. Thanks to the Volturi bringing a large group of "witnesses" to Forks to see Renesmee Cullen when she was a baby, the area had seen more than its share of bloodsuckers over the years. The witnesses liked the woodsy region and came back from time to time.

And it was up to me to protect the land. Shortly after I'd phased, my father's Alpha powers went dormant and I inherited the throne at the ripe old age of 15. My father and the other pack members were startled by how much power I'd been given. I didn't get it myself, but they said they could "feel" my power.

I knew I was physically strong, stronger than any of the other wolves including my dad. And I knew I could command easily…not that I ever used that power. The only time I used my Alpha power was to stop Quil Ateara from killing a man who had physically attacked Claire. Quil was acting in the heat of the moment, and I didn't think he'd want murder on his conscience so I had stopped him.

I hadn't even really "ordered" him. I told him to stop and he dropped to the ground, but I didn't feel any heady rush of power when I'd made the request. My father said he could always feel it when he used the Alpha power. I sometimes wondered what would happen if I ever did use my full ability. Even in human form people reacted to me. Case in point, when I asked Devlin what the hell his problem was, he had immediately flinched. I softened my tone as I looked at him again.

"Seriously dude, you've been jumpy ever since the wedding," I tried to joke. I looked cautiously at Claire's brother Nick who had joined us in pigging out on the leftovers.

I lowered my voice and said in a tone only Devlin could hear, "Did you imprint or something?"

Imprinting wasn't as uncommon as it was once rumored to be. Put a bunch of wolves together at another wolf's wedding, throw in a bunch of women, and imprinting usually occurred.

"No," Devlin answered immediately…it was a little too quick actually. I frowned at his response.

He was really acting weird. Maybe he was finally acting his age. Devlin was one of the youngest wolves in our history. He was technically 11, though he was a few months shy of his 12th birthday.

The youngest wolf ever was Ryan Spencer, my sister's imprint. He had only just turned 11 when he phased the first time. Ryan was one of seven wolves who changed when the Volturi came to Forks to attack the Cullens. Ryan was 29 now, but looked to be in his early 20s. Though thanks to my sister's poor treatment of him lately, his face was beginning to show a lot of strain.

When Ryan was 15, he and his family moved across the country. When he turned 18, he moved back to La Push, saw my sister Gracie for the first time when she was three, and imprinted on her. They had always been extremely close. Ryan worshiped Gracie and she'd always felt the same way about him. Things changed between them when I phased for the first time. My sister and I had been arguing that day over something stupid. Now I'm for the most part a pretty laidback guy, but for some reason I got really pissed that day. Before I knew it, I had phased.

My father had been coming back from patrol when he'd run into me. I had tried to attack him in return. It wasn't that I wanted to hurt him. I was acting on pure instinct. I was an Alpha in the presence of another Alpha. Two Alphas can't be near each other without wanting to kill one another. My father had read my thoughts and immediately phased back to his human form. It hadn't been enough to stop me from wanting to attack him though. I had been about to lunge when Ryan had phased and moved protectively in front of my dad. Ryan and the rest of the pack had then explained to me what was going on.

But my sister had witnessed all of it. Her brother, father, and more importantly, her best friend Ryan, had all burst into large, furry, snarling beasts right in front of her. She'd been hysterical and even my mother's comforting embrace couldn't calm her. It took weeks for her to even look at me and my dad again.

Unfortunately for Ryan, she wouldn't have anything to do with him. Today was the first day I had seen any sort of softening in her attitude towards him in the eight months since I'd first phased. Gracie had been paired up with Ryan for the wedding party, so she didn't really have a choice but to acknowledge him. I hoped it was a step in the right direction though. Patrolling with Ryan right now was a pain in the ass. His thoughts were constantly consumed by Gracie, which was just a tad bit uncomfortable for me.

Thank God they weren't dating yet. If they ever got over Gracie being a shit and moved on to the next phase of their imprint, I'd have to schedule Ryan and me to patrol on different shifts. No freaking way was I going to be in his head if he and Grace had just spent a day making out…or worse!

My disturbing thoughts were suddenly distracted when I caught scent of the most incredible smell I had ever encountered. It was a mix of forest and wildflowers. It was addicting and overpowering at the same time. I tried to ignore it and concentrate on the food in front of me. The restless feeling was getting worse, and I began to feel sharp tugs on the base of my spine. I rubbed my back, but the nagging didn't ease up. I wanted to leave the kitchen. I wanted to go into the reception area. The urge was too strong and I finally gave into it.

"I'm going to get back to the party," I told Nick and Devlin.

Nick was busy shoving food in his mouth and only nodded. Devlin was playing with the olives on his plate with a frown. I'd seriously have to figure out what the hell was wrong with him later. For now, I had to get back to the reception. I felt like I had an invisible lasso tied around my waist, and I was being pulled in that direction. As I walked into the room, I saw Quil and Seth Clearwater standing together and I walked over to them.

"So you guys clean out the kitchen?" Quil asked once I joined them. I laughed in response.

"Almost…I left Devlin and Nick to finish off the rest. I just felt like I had to be out here. The feeling kept getting stronger and stronger, so I decided to come and check things out."

"Any reason why you were feeling that way?" Quil asked me with concern.

I went to answer, but as I turned my head I caught sight of the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my entire life. She had dark brown hair that went past her shoulders and eyes that sparkled like bright green emeralds. She was laughing at something and threw back her head. Her laughter was like music to my ears. My eyes immediately flew to the man she was talking to, quickly scoping out my competition. My body relaxed when I saw it was Jacob Black. He was sitting next to his wife Renesmee.

I turned my attention back to the girl. The lights from the room changed her luscious locks of hair into liquid bronze. I wanted to feel its texture underneath my fingers. I couldn't look away.

"Nate? You in there?" I heard Seth ask.

I shook my head, trying to clear it from the daze I was now feeling.

"Who's that girl with Jacob?"

"That would be Meena Black," Quil answered.

"Meena," I repeated, committing the sound to memory before practically begging, "Quil, will you introduce me?"

"Sure," Quil responded with a smile in his voice.

We walked over to the table where Meena was sitting. I thought I heard Jacob mutter something that sounded like "well, shit," but I couldn't be to sure. How could I concentrate on anything when I was within a couple of feet from the girl of my dreams?

"Meena, Ness, this is Nate Uley," Quil said. "Nate, meet Meena and Ness Black."

"Mrs. Black." I nodded politely in Renesmee's direction, before turning to officially meet Meena. In a tone I didn't recognize, I said softly, "Meena."

"Please call me Ness." Renesmee insisted. I nodded, but didn't take my eyes off her daughter, even as I felt Jacob's glare. Meena stared back at me and the rest of the world disappeared.

"Would you like to dance?" I asked.

I suddenly became nervous. What if she said no? How would I survive it? I relaxed though as Meena smiled shyly and placed her hand in mine. It was incredible, the feel of her skin against mine. It was like the world had been spinning crazily out of control and the moment we made contact, everything made sense again. I couldn't look away as we finally made it to the dance floor. I pulled her to me, resting my hands at her waist. I knew in that moment that nothing in my life would ever be the same again. And it didn't even matter as long as I had Meena by my side. I had found my imprint…my soul mate.

"So…uh…what do you think of La Push?" I asked, holding my breath unconsciously as I waited for her answer. If she didn't like it, I didn't know what I was going to do. I couldn't leave my pack.

"I love it here," Meena responded, her lips forming into a soft smile and I felt myself relax. My eyes were drawn to her full lips. I badly wanted to taste them with my own.

She continued, "My family has always been fond of this area."

"Oh right…the Cullens," I said, forcing myself to concentrate.

"You say their name like it's a bad thing," Meena replied with a slight frown.

"Do I?" I asked. Shit! "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I don't remember the Cullens, but my dad always had nice things to say about Dr. Cullen."

"Great-Grandpa," Meena smiled again. "Who's your dad?"

"Sam…Sam Uley," I responded, staring at her mouth again.

"Oh…" Meena said and this time it was my turn to stare into her eyes with a frown, but the moment she returned my look, I forgot what we were even talking about. I felt a sudden shove and I was forced away from my imprint.

"Stay the hell away from my sister," someone yelled right before I felt a hard fist make contact with my face.

I went flying back which said something for whoever punched me.

Meena screamed, "Stop it Gabe!"

She ran to help me, but I was already on my feet, trembling all over as I looked at the bastard who just sucker-punched me. I knew who he was…a Cullen freak! He looked like a paler version of Jacob, with short hair and the same matching dent in his chin. I also quickly picked up the fact that this guy was a wolf. More importantly, he was an Alpha like me. Instinct kicked in and before I could stop myself, I flew at the guy.

I grabbed him by the waist and shoved him through the side emergency door. As soon as the cool night air hit my face I exploded, my white fur standing on end. My opponent also burst into wolf form, revealing a dark red coat. He was smaller than me in size but just as powerful. It probably had to do with his dirty vampire blood. Furious heat ran over me as I stared at my enemy. I was only slightly aware that some people followed us outside as we stood snarling at each other.

Gabe lunged at me, ripping his claws down my side which made me howl furiously. I hip checked him and sent his ass flying. I was a little surprised that I could even touch him. With his hybrid blood, he should have been more powerful than me, but we were equal in strength. The imprint gods must have seen that I was going to imprint on a psychopath's sister, and they made sure I had enough power to match him.

"Girls, get back inside," I heard Quil shout.

Out of the corner of my eye, I realized that Meena was there for the first time. She glanced in my direction before heading back inside. I went to follow her, but Gabe tackled me. I kicked him before biting into his shoulder for good measure. Gabe yowled furiously. We stood facing each other again, like boxers in a ring. That's when I saw Gracie hit Ryan on the back.

"You're monsters…uncontrollable MONSTERS," she yelled.

And then the air got completely quiet. Even the dickhead I was battling didn't move a muscle as we stared at each other, absorbing the change in the atmosphere. I heard a slight whimper and both Gabe and I turned our heads at the same time. What I saw infuriated me more than the Alpha wolf standing next to me.

Ryan Spencer, my sister's best friend and imprint, was kissing her against her will. Gracie's hands beat against his sides, her body straining to get away from him. The true Alpha power I had always kept in check erupted inside me like a volcano.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" I ordered, the double timbre coming out which such force, everyone around me including Seth, Gabe, and Quil jumped slightly. Ryan shot back away from Gracie like he'd suddenly been set on fire.

I was startled myself. I had never felt such raw power. My body was filled with it making me feel invincible. We were only supposed to be able to order our pack in wolf form. We could tell our brothers what to do as humans, but to feel the full effect of the Alpha power, we needed to be wolves. For me to get a successful order out to a human in my current shape was completely unheard of.

I was still reeling when I saw Gracie run in the direction of our house. Ryan watched her leave before punching the side of the building. He offered a quick apology, never once meeting my eyes, before taking off in the opposite direction that Gracie had just run. I was half tempted to go after him, but I was becoming aware of Gabe's Alpha presence again, and my mind was slowly going back into attack mode. Gabe looked at me and just like that we were circling each other again.

"Enough," Jacob Black suddenly yelled out of nowhere. "This isn't the time or place…think of the pack. Think of protecting our secret. Gabe, go get dressed. There are some clothes in the back of the car you can wear."

Gabe looked at his father for a moment before looking back to me. His lips curled over his teeth and he let out one more growl before backing slowly away. He continued to walk backwards until the shadows of the night swallowed him up. While a part of me was tempted to finish off the Alpha that was on my territory, I forced myself to snap out of the uncontrollable kill mode I felt myself teetering into.

I looked towards the building Meena had disappeared into. I wanted to desperately see her again. God, what did she think of me? Was I now some monster in her eyes like Ryan was to Gracie? And what about Gracie? I felt my eyes turn towards the direction she'd run off to. I noticed before she left that her mouth was bleeding. She was bound to be upset. I needed to make sure my little sister was all right. I looked back at Quil who was staring at me. I was so dazed by the night's events, I couldn't even make a simple decision.

"Gracie needs you more now," Quil said with a shrug.

I knew it was true too. With a sigh, I ran in the direction of my house. As soon as I got close by, I went into the backyard where my mom always kept an outside chest full of sweatpants for the days when we phased on the fly. Pulling some shorts on, I ran inside and went straight up to Gracie's room where I could hear her crying.

"Gracie?" I called out, knocking on the door.

"G-g-go a-away," Gracie sobbed.

"Please open the door," I pleaded, trying the handle but it was locked.

"No!"

"Grace, if I have to break the door in, I will," I said in a serious tone.

I heard Gracie's feet move across the floor, followed by the door unlocking. She threw back the door and stared at me with hate-filled puffy eyes.

"What do you want?" Gracie asked bitterly. Her tone was ruined by the tears streaming down her cheeks.

I gently lifted her chin and examined the bruised flesh of her lips. The corner of her lip was split open, dried blood formed in the cracks.

"C'mon," I ordered.

I grabbed her arm and dragged her into the bathroom. I took a washcloth out of the cupboard and wet it down before handing it to her. Gracie held it to her abused flesh with a wince. Once her lip was clear of blood, I rinsed off the cloth in cool water and folded it up. She took it and walked back into her bedroom, lying down on her bed, and putting the wet cloth over her eyes. I followed and leaned against the doorframe.

"I hate him," Gracie whispered.

"I know," I sighed. "You hate all of us as you so fondly like to remind me. But just in case you're wondering, I'm not too happy with Ryan right now either."

"How could he do that to me?" Gracie asked in a wobbly voice.

"Believe it or not Grace, he loves you," I responded.

"He loves me? Then he has a funny way of showing it!"

"Look," I said. "I don't know what Ryan was thinking tonight. He's put up with more shit from you these past eight months than any one person should have to deal with. You've treated him like garbage for so long now that I think he finally snapped."

"I asked for it?" Gracie questioned furiously. "Is that what you're saying?"

"No, he was in the wrong for doing what he did. Correct me if I'm wrong though, but weren't you hitting him and calling him a monster?"

"So?"

"Violence is violence."

"He shouldn't have forced himself on me!"

"You shouldn't have hit him in the first place."

Gracie scoffed. "It's not like he felt it."

"Gracie, you can hurt Ryan far easier than I ever could."

"I knew you would take his side." Gracie went on the attack.

"I'm always on your side, even when your acting like a brat," I told her and smiled as she huffed indignantly. "Just don't think too many terrible thoughts about Ryan, that's all I'm saying. Trust me…I've been in his head since you stopped talking to him. All he ever thinks about is you. All he ever worries about is you. He's your best friend. He's looked out for you since you were a toddler."

"It's not just tonight though," Gracie said heatedly, finally venting eight months worth of anger. "He lied to me. All these years, he's been a you-know, and he never once told me. How can I ever trust him again? It's like I don't even know him anymore."

"A 'you-know'? Gracie, what the hell is your problem with the pack?" I said furiously. "We're born with this gene! It's not like any of us can help it. Do you think any of us wanted to phase in the first place? Do you blame people who get cancer just because it's hereditary?"

"Of course not," Gracie whispered in a shocked tone.

"There are plenty of things I'd like to do with my life besides being a wolf, but this is a part of who I am," I snapped as the night's events began to take its toll. "The pack is out busting our asses every night for ungrateful shits like you and what do we get? Freaking attitude!"

"Nathaniel Harrison Uley!" My mother's stern voice interrupted us. Oh hell, when did my parents get back from the reception?

My mom continued, "I better not ever hear you speak to anyone that way again, especially not your sister. Is that understood?"

"Sorry," I apologized, not meeting her eyes.

"Fine, why don't you go downstairs and let me talk to Gracie," my mom instructed.

I did as I was told and met my father in the family room.

"So what happened tonight?" My dad asked.

"Nothing much…Gracie and Ryan got into a _huge_ fight. Oh and I imprinted and almost killed my soul mate's brother."

My dad whistled. "Wow, what a night. So you and Meena Black, huh?"

"Yeah," my mind instantly drifted back to Meena. I could already feel the longing to see her again. "Dad, what am I going to do? Her brother's an Alpha. I felt it. We couldn't even be around each other for a few minutes before we attacked one another."

"I don't know son…there's been a lot of bad blood between our pack and the Cullen clan. We put it behind us for the most part, but Jacob and I still can't be around each other for too long before the old animosity resurfaces. I guess you'll have to figure it out though for the sake of your imprint."

I nodded before making my way towards the family room's slider door which led to our backyard.

"Hey," my dad called out. "Devlin Wakeh imprinted tonight."

Oh great…another one. Well, that certainly explained Dev's distracted attitude earlier.

Sighing, I asked, "On whom?"

"Hanna Becknell."

Jared and Kim's daughter. The one who attended a private school in Michigan for gifted artists. Last I heard, the girl's biggest goal in life was to become a world famous pianist, which meant she'd never be around. Fan-freaking-tastic!

"I'm going to go for a walk," I muttered, opening the door and stepping outside into the cool night air.

I decided to head towards the beach. Before I even got halfway there, I ran into Ryan. He looked horrible. His eyes were wild and it looked like he'd pulled out some of his hair.

"I'm really sorry for how I acted," Ryan said immediately.

"You want to explain to me what the hell you were thinking?" I asked, crossing my hands over my chest.

"S-she shut me out so many times. I-I just didn't know how else to reach her. When she called me a monster, I just lost it."

"Is that how you're going to solve all your problems in the future? If you don't like how my sister is acting, you'll get physical."

"No! You know I wouldn't do that to her…it's j-just that she looked so different tonight…so grown up and I-I--"

Oh sick! This was one conversation I really wished my dad could be having instead of me.

"Are you saying you suddenly discovered you have the hots for my 14-year-old sister?" I asked warily.

"No! It's just that--"

Ryan's shoulders slumped and I felt slightly guilty. Quil warned me. When you imprint on someone young, every time an imprint hits a new stage, a layer of their relationship gets peeled away. Tonight, a new stage was set into motion for Ryan and Gracie. All I could do was sit back and hope I didn't have to witness it in too much detail.

Looking sick, Ryan finally spoke up. "I wanted to find you so that I could tell you I'm leaving."

"What?" I asked in shock.

"I'm going to move back to D.C. for awhile. My dad said he could get me a government job there."

"What about Gracie?"

"I think after tonight, she could use the break from me. Maybe she can learn to forgive me while I'm away."

"How long are you planning on being gone?"

Ryan shrugged. "As long as it takes, I guess."

I shook my head. "Ryan, are you sure you want to do this?"

Ryan looked in the direction where he probably felt Gracie's presence, even from a distance away.

"Yeah…yeah, I think this is for the best."

"Well, I can't stop you," I told him sadly. "Just don't be a complete stranger, all right?"

"Sure," Ryan said, sticking out his hand. I grabbed it before bringing him in for a brief hug.

I watched him walk away. He looked completely broken. A chill raced down my spine as Ryan disappeared from my sight.

What if I couldn't work out my problems with Gabriel Black? Would I end up like Ryan someday? Completely rejected by my imprint?

* * *

**A/N - As always, please leave feedback for this chapter! You can see the story banner and pictures of the characters on my photobucket account. The link is on my profile page. Thanks! **


	2. Going, Going, Gone

_Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again._

_Romeo and Juliet_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 2 – Going, Going, Gone**

_April 30, 2023_

Gracie's POV

It was always the same dream.

_I was running through the woods, completely lost. I couldn't find my way out and knew something was chasing me…something large and frightening. It had a menacing growl and I knew it would attack at the slightest provocation._

_I ran until I was at a meadow. At the other side of the clearing was Ryan…my great protector. I felt relief at seeing him. Ryan had always taken care of me. He was always the first to pick me up if I ever fell when I was a little. He used to let me practice my ballet routine with him. He was my best friend; the guy I trusted above everything and everyone else. Seeing him, I knew I was safe. _

_The monster started getting closer. For once, I wanted to be the protector._

"_Ryan, run!" I screamed. _

For some reason, tonight's dream began to differ.

_Ryan smiled and told me there was nothing to fear. Something in his face changed. It became sinister and in that moment I didn't even recognize my best friend._

_I turned around to run away and Ryan suddenly appeared before me. Laughing in a way that shot fear down my spine, he grabbed me and forced me to him. He pulled my face to his and his mouth began to crush mine painfully. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. Finally he let go, but when I looked at him, Ryan was no longer there. Instead, I was facing a vicious wolf. A light brown wolf that was impossibly large. The beast flashed his teeth evilly at me._

"_Go away," I screamed in terror. _

_The wolf just laughed before raising up a paw. His sharp nails flashed brilliantly in the moonlight. He was going to strike me down…he was going to kill me…_

I jerked awake, sitting straight up before bringing my shaking hands to my face. I'd been having the same dream for the past eight months, ever since I saw my dad, brother…_and him_ phase. But tonight's dream was different. He had never kissed me before in the dream.

Still, everything about the dream felt so real. I quickly ran to the vanity in my room and checked the side of my face. It was just as it always looked. I was so sure that when I looked into the mirror, my mom's hideous scars would be staring back.

Ever since I found out that the wolves could hurt the ones they supposedly love, I'd been terrified of them. Scratch that. I feared them ever since I saw them lose their tempers and burst out of their skin. I mean, one minute I was arguing with my brother over a stupid TV show, and then next, his skin disappeared before my very eyes. It was like something out of a horror movie.

I didn't understand how my mom could love my dad, knowing what he was capable of. He was the reason she was so scarred. How could she stand him? Granted, I only ever saw my dad worship my mother, but still.

I didn't get it. I sometimes thought I was losing my mind. Was I the only one who saw the wolf pack for what they really were? People acted so awestruck around them. The wolves weren't wonderful. They were volatile!

They were also big, fat freaking liars. I grew up listening to the stories of our tribe. What Quileute kid didn't hear about the legends of our people? My parents would tell Nate and me the stories at bedtime. And I never once remembered my dad ever saying, "oh and by the way, the stories are all true."

It was like growing up and finding out you were adopted…by aliens. Since I found out the truth about what my heritage was, I had begun to question everything. What else did my father lie about? Would I pass on this mutant gene to my kids someday?

And Ryan! I had always placed him on a pedestal that was so high no one could touch him. I'd always been completely honest with him, because he had always meant the world to me. I had told him every deep dark secret I ever had, and he never once bothered to tell me that he spent his nights perusing around the rez as a fluffy wolf. That little fact stung more than anything else. And it also brought in a whole new slew of self-doubt and questions. What else didn't he tell me? Was our whole relationship a lie?

Something broke inside me the day Ryan phased in front of me. I felt like I was living in that movie, _The Truman Show._ The guy in the movie's whole life was one big lie. Nothing was what it seemed. Even his friends weren't real. That's exactly how I felt. And I wanted nothing more to do with any of them, especially Ryan.

And every day when I looked at my mom's scars, I was reminded all over again that I was justified in my anger. I put up with my brother and father because I had to. But Ryan could take his deceitfulness and shove it. I was done with him.

Only Ryan didn't seem to ever get the clue. I never really thought of him as dumb or slow. But no matter how hard I pushed, Ryan wouldn't go away. He was always hanging around my parents' house trying to get me to talk to him. He even broke down once and begged me to forgive him.

And what was really sad was that I wanted to. I found the more miserable I made Ryan, the more horrible I felt. Yet, I still refused. Because every time I wanted to give in, I remembered how angry my brother had been when he phased that first time. I remembered my mother's damaged face. And I remembered that Ryan had lied to me all my life. So I ignored him.

Last night though had been the final straw. His kiss was the absolute knife in our relationship as far as I was concerned. A couple of months ago, my cousin Claire had told me to be nice to Ryan. She knew that I had been miserable the past few months. Claire also knew that I had begun to fanatically search online for colleges that would take me as far away from La Push as I could get, though I still had several years to go before I graduated high school. Claire said though that running away wouldn't make me feel better. She said things would only improve for me once I gave Ryan a break.

I touched my lip where Ryan's kiss had damaged it and winced. So much for giving him a break! For the first time in months, I hadn't treated him like a leper when we were at the wedding yesterday. And for awhile things had seemed to get better. Ryan and I even danced together. He'd whispered how beautiful I looked and something in his tone and the way he looked at me had made me feel…feel kind of cherished. I was almost ready to be friends again and he ruined it by attacking me!

I looked at my face in the mirror again. The skin around my cut lip was bruised and my mouth was swollen slightly. Stupid wolves and their unstableness.

Yet…I couldn't help but remember how for a very brief moment my view on Ryan had changed during our kiss. I'd stopped seeing him in a brotherly manner or as a best friend. Because somewhere in the middle of his assault, Ryan became something I didn't recognize. He became a stranger…_a man_. And when his lips had softened, molding my mouth to his, it had felt…

Well, it didn't matter how it felt. How dare he kiss me! So what if his kiss had briefly sent shivers throughout my entire body. He was dangerous! Not to mention a liar and complete jerk!

In fact, just remembering his actions from the night before made my anger surge. It suddenly seemed very important for me to tell him exactly how I felt. I stormed over to my closet and opened the door. My hands hovered over a blue long sleeved shirt. Ryan always said blue made my eyes look like warm molasses. I moved my hand to a white sweater, but didn't grab it. With an impatient huff, I went back and grabbed the shirt in blue.

I wasn't _trying_ to impress Ryan. He could drop dead as far as I was concerned. My stomach twisted at that thought, and I cursed myself and him for even caring. Grabbing a pair of jeans, I went into the hall and ran straight into my brother.

"Where are you going so early?" Nate mumbled, his eyes bloodshot.

"Out," I snapped. "Where have you been? Patrolling?"

For some reason, Nate turned bright red before saying, "Uh yeah, something like that."

"What's that blush for?" I asked curiously, forgetting that I was in a hurry to tell Ryan off. "Were you out with Meena or something?"

A blind man would have seen the chemistry that flowed between Meena Black and my brother last night. A part of me envied it. Would I ever experience that kind of connection with someone?

"I'd hardly hang out with Meena after I got into a fight with her brother," Nate grumbled.

"Yeah, that probably wasn't a genius move on your part," I replied.

"Tell me something I don't know," Nate muttered, before heading to his room and shutting the door quietly behind him.

With a shrug, I went into the bathroom and took a shower. I spent extra time doing my hair and applying light makeup. My mom only let me start wearing makeup last year, and I wasn't allowed to wear anything too heavy. Not that I was trying to impress Ryan…far from it. But it didn't hurt to always look your best.

I headed back to my room to grab some shoes, my cell phone, and house keys. I glanced at the clock. It was almost 9 am. Ryan should be up by now. I was a little ticked that he wasn't already over here groveling. Bet the jerk was too ashamed!

I headed downstairs, carefully avoiding the family room where I could hear giggling noises. That was always a sure sign my parents were probably doing things that would scar me for life if I saw them. I hated walking in on them when they were making out. The fact that my parents couldn't ever seem to keep their hands off each other was just gross.

I went outside and headed towards the beach. It was a short cut to Ryan's house which was situated about a half mile away from where my parents lived. As I walked, I thought about exactly what I was going to say to him.

First off, I was going to tell him that I didn't ever want to see or speak to him again. I glanced down at my blue top and adjusted it so that it flattered my figure some more. And then after I told him I didn't want to speak to him again, I was going to tell him that I thought he was a two-faced, lying asshole!

"_And maybe he'll get so mad, he'll kiss you again,"_ a voice said inside my head.

No! I didn't want his kisses. I wanted him to drop off the face of the planet! I was so busy concentrating on how much I hated Ryan, that I didn't hear someone call my name until a hand touched my shoulder.

"Gracie," Gabriel Black said.

I instinctively took a few steps away. Last time I saw him he'd burst out into Mr. Fluffy and then proceeded to attack my brother. Gabe quickly held his hands up in front of him in truce.

Okay, so a part of me feared him…but god, he really was freaking hot. The dark irises of his eyes had a black line around them which emphasized the beautiful brown color. I could seriously stare at his eyes all day. Gabe also had what I could only describe as a chiseled jaw which included that sexy dimple in the middle of it. I knew he was technically younger than me, about 10, but physically he was closer to 16. He certainly didn't have the body of a 10-year-old. With his arms out in front of him, I could see his arm muscles bulging. Under the rare sunshine we were currently experiencing, his skin seemed to shimmer slightly. It wasn't really noticeable, but it made his pale skin seem to glow. I had to remember to breathe as I stared at him.

"Look…" Gabe said. Jeez, even his voice was sexy. "I'm glad I ran into you. My family's heading back to Vermont today, and I wanted to apologize to you for last night."

I pulled myself together.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently. "Do you mean for leaving me in the middle of the dance floor so that you could try to kill my brother?"

We had been in the middle of dancing together at the reception when Gabe had taken one look at Nate and lunged for him.

"Yeah," Gabe said, his pale cheeks flushing. "I don't know what happened last night."

"So do you go around and randomly attack every guy who dances with your sister? Cause I gotta tell you, that's a little creepy."

"No," Gabe promised. "I actually think that's the first time Meena ever danced with a guy. We…uh…we haven't really interacted much with people our age because of the way we grew up."

"Oh, you mean because you grew up with leeches," I remarked.

Gabe stiffened. "That's kind of a derogatory, don't you think? We _prefer _vampires."

"Whatever," I mumbled, turning to leave.

"Gracie, wait," Gabe called. I paused and looked back at him. "I didn't mean to scare you yesterday. I can tell there's something troubling you. I hope I didn't make it worse."

"What do you mean you can tell there's something troubling me?"

Gabe shrugged and put his hands in his pockets before taking a couple of hesitant steps towards me.

"I can read people," Gabe finally answered.

When he didn't explain anything further, I said, "So are you going to tell me exactly what you mean by that?"

Gabe gave me a crooked little smile before he reached out for my hand. I gave it to him without hesitation. He sat down on the beach, dragging me with him.

"My Grandpa Edward has the ability to read minds. He can read anyone's thoughts…well, except for my grandma's. I kind of inherited his gift."

"So you can read my mind?" I asked, feeling slightly freaked out by the idea.

"No." Gabe smiled reassuringly as though he knew what I was thinking. "I can read a person's essence, or I guess you can say their aura. A family friend who lives in Denali refers to me as a soul reader. I know when something upsets a person. For example, from the moment I saw you, I could tell that though you put on a happy front, you were feeling pretty miserable yesterday. Usually I can help cheer a person up."

"How do you do that?" I questioned.

Gabe turned so that he was facing me. "Tell me a place you like to go that makes you happy."

Instantly my mind thought of Ryan. It didn't really matter where I went as long as Ryan was right there with me. But oh wait…I hated him.

"What were you thinking about just now?" Gabe asked curiously. "You went from blissfully happy to horribly upset."

"I was thinking about R-Ryan," I admitted.

"Oh," Gabe said, dropping my hand that he'd been holding. "So you really like him, huh?"

"No, I hate him," I stated firmly.

Gabe frowned at me. "Are you sure about that? Because trust me, the guy sure doesn't hate you. You have an incredible connection to each other. I've only ever felt that connection between my par--"

A look of disappointment suddenly flashed across Gabe's face.

"Oh," he finally said. "I get it now."

"What are you talking about?" I asked in frustration. Was every wolf slightly crazy?

Gabe looked at me carefully. "So you're sure you hate the guy?"

"Of course."

"Really?" Gabe replied, before saying softly, "I'm not your brother Gracie. I was there when you two were kissing and it seemed like for a moment you were enjoying it."

Suddenly an image popped in my head. It was of Ryan and me kissing, but it was from a different view point. The image was so real that I knew it was an actual memory. I saw myself beating Ryan as he kissed me. And then I was clutching him to me. I knew it was in that moment that our kiss changed and became…well, kind of…

"_Stupendous? Wonderful? Fantastic?" _The stupid inner voice offered.

It was okay, dammit! The image disappeared and I was looking at Gabe again. He had a slight smirk on his face.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Another one of my gifts. My mom can put her thoughts into other people's heads through physical contact. I can do it without touching someone. And I can also place images in people's heads that aren't memories. Things that can make you happy…"

Another picture popped into my mind. This time it was of me standing near a brook. The sun was filtering through the trees warming my face. I looked across the water and Gabe was there, waving at me. I smiled in return and the image cleared.

"That's awesome," I told him.

"Thanks," Gabe said proudly. He suddenly looked up and his happy expression slowly drained away. "My dad's calling me. I have to go."

I forgot that Gabe had supersonic hearing. He got up to his feet and glanced down at me. "So we're friends, right?"

"Yeah, we're cool," I said, smiling back. "Will I see you again?"

"All right Dad, I'll be right there," Gabe yelled out in the direction of Billy Black's house, which wasn't too far away. He helped me up before answering my question.

"My parents want to move back to the area. Grandpa Billy and Charlie aren't getting any younger and my parents want to be close to them. But after last night…well, they want me to learn control before I'm around your brother again. You see, we're both Alphas. It's impossible for us to be around each other. Since I just started phasing only a couple of days ago, my parents are hoping that some time and distance might improve the situation."

He looked up towards his grandpa's house again and sighed. "My dad's getting impatient. Take care of yourself Gracie."

He put his hands tentatively on my shoulders and brought me in close. My stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with a gazillion butterflies. Gabe's mouth brushed against my forehead before he released me.

"See ya," he said, flashing me his crooked smile once more before running inhumanly fast up the beach. I stood there stupidly for a moment, trying to get my heart rate back under control.

What was I doing again? Oh right, I had to go tell Ryan off. I marched in the direction of his house. When I got there, it seemed empty. My stomach lurched painfully for a second. What if he picked up some skank at the wedding and brought her back here after he'd mauled me. I forgot about everything and everyone as that thought consumed me.

"_What if he didn't though?"_ That annoying inner voice spoke up again. _"What if he's in there by himself, wallowing in guilt? Maybe he'll kiss you again."_

Just the very thought filled me with fury and something else I refused to define. I pounded on the door until my hand hurt.

There was no answer.

I turned the handle, but the door was locked. That was weird. Ryan never locked his door. I reached in my pocket and pulled out a house key Ryan had given me years ago. Opening the door, I let myself in before quickly slamming it behind me.

"Ryan," I yelled.

No answer.

I went into his bedroom, half dreading that I was about to walk in on him with some girl, but the room was empty. In fact, his pillow didn't even have a dent on it to show he slept there recently. With trepidation filling me, I walked over to Ryan's closet and slowly opened the door. It was empty.

"Ryan," I called out again, trying to hide my panic. I ran into his bathroom, but it too was empty of his personal items.

"Ryan!" I screamed out. I ran through the house, but there was no sign of him. He was gone. With shaking hands, I grabbed my cell phone out of my jeans and called the one person who would know where Ryan was.

"Lo," my brother's tired voice mumbled.

"Nate, where's Ryan?" I demanded.

"Gone."

"What do you mean he's gone?" I asked, my stomach queasy.

"Moved back to Washington D.C.," came the exhausted response.

"What? When?"

"Left last night," Nate's voice became a little bit more coherent. "Grace, where are you right now? Are you okay?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I threw the phone across the room and watched it break against the wall. I went back into Ryan's room and laid down on his bed, bringing the pillow to my face and burying my nose in it. It smelled like Ryan. He always smelled so good, like lemons and sea breeze.

He wasn't supposed to leave. Yeah, I didn't think I wanted him around, but now that he was actually gone, I felt like my soul had been ripped in half. How could he leave La Push? How could he leave me!

All the emotions of the past eight months; the terror, anguish, fury, betrayal, and pain, rushed over me in one gigantic wave and I lost it. I curled myself around Ryan's pillow and started to cry uncontrollably. I must have eventually drifted off to sleep, because when I woke up, the sun was setting in the sky. There was a blanket over me and a note and phone on the table next to the bed.

_If you need anything, call me._

_Nate_

Rubbing my eyes, I let depression settle over me like a black cloak. Getting up off from the bed, I looked around the room. Picking up Ryan's pillow, I took one last deep breath of it, memorizing the scent. I walked out of the house and locked the door behind me.

"Gracie," a female voice called out.

I turned to see Ari and Jen, two of my classmates, standing at the end of the driveway. They were standing with a few other people I knew, including Zack Murray, the most popular guy in my school. Normally, seeing Zack would have cheered me up because he was incredibly good-looking, but right now all I felt was pain.

"We're going to the beach? Do you want to come?" Ari asked. I looked at the bags they were carrying. I could very clearly see several bottles of alcohol. How did they even get it?

Although I'd never had a sip of alcohol in my life, I knew that it made people go numb. The idea of not feeling anything suddenly held great appeal.

"Yeah," I responded, plastering a fake smile on my face. "Yeah, let's go."

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_A/N – So…they ended voting two days early on those awards I was up for. I got runner-up for each category I was nominated. Thanks to everyone who took a moment to vote. Congrats to two of my readers, Ari and laurazuleta18, who won for their stories! _

_This story is about to jump ahead two years. Thanks again for reading! __**Please review!**_


	3. The Other Alpha

**Important Note**

Dear Anonymous Reviewers:

As noted on my profile, I have come to the difficult decision to no longer allow anonymous reviews. My story about Leah has angered some people. Because I stated that the story favors Jacob with Renesmee, certain individuals have left me hate filled reviews that have nothing to do with my story. (Apparently authors aren't allowed to write a canon story about Leah, Ness, and Jake without people hoping for their death…one of the many things I've had thrown at me.) Thank you to those who have been so supportive throughout all my stories. I actually wrote this chapter for one of my longtime anon readers who requested some time with the Cullens before the Blacks went back to La Push.

On another note, a reader asked for the ages of each character. In this chapter (which takes place two years after chapters 1 & 2), the kids' are:

Nate: A few months shy of his 18th birthday

Meena & Gabe: Technically 12, physically 17ish

Gracie: 16

Ryan: 31

And sorry for the delay in this chapter. It was stuck in my head, so in the meantime I wrote two new chapters of Leah's story, which some of you may have read (chapters 4 & 5). I hope you check them out if you haven't already. Chapter 5 is probably one of my favorite chapters I've ever written. Also, just as a reminder, my stories are M rated. Per site rules, if you are under 16, you shouldn't be reading them.

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_I do desire we may be better strangers.  
_

_As You Like It_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 3 – The Other Alpha**

_June 1, 2025 – July 4, 2025_

Gabe's POV

I woke up feeling the familiar burn at the back of my throat. For the most part, I ate human food…a lot of it actually. I was like my dad in that way, whereas my sister took after our mom's side of the family. But on occasion, my DNA liked to remind me of my vampire heritage. I was going to have to hunt today. I wondered if Meena would be up to going.

I sighed as I stared up at the ceiling. Meena hadn't been up to doing anything lately. She spent hours by herself just walking aimlessly through the woods surrounding our home in Vermont. When she wasn't wandering, she was always staring west, as though something in that direction was calling her.

Something _was_ calling her. The moronic imbecile who'd imprinted on her. Of all the people in the world who could have imprinted on my sister, why did it have to be a Uley?

From what I knew of that family, they were the type to react first and ask questions later. My uncles told me all about the time Sam Uley ordered his pack to attack our coven right before my mother was born. If my father hadn't broken away and formed his own pack, they could have possibly killed my entire family. And Sam's son seemed to be as careless and impulsive as his father.

He'd called here once asking to speak to Meena. She'd told him she didn't want to talk to him. I knew she did that for me, though I'd never asked her to. And he listened. He never bothered her again. As irrational as it was, I resented him for that. If his connection to her was so powerful and all consuming, he would have found a way to stay in contact with her. But he didn't try. As far as I was concerned that meant he didn't deserve my sister.

Meena grew more forlorn as time went on, which only made my hostility towards Nathaniel Uley get worse. I knew Sam had called my father a couple of times recently at the garage my dad worked at. I overheard my father talking about it with my mom once, but they stopped when they sensed I was nearby.

I knew both my parents wanted to move back to the La Push area. They were waiting for me to prove that I could control myself if put into a hostile situation. Apparently my antagonism towards my enemy Alpha was pretty evident.

And I knew Meena felt it too, which probably didn't help her depressive state. My sister and I shared a unique connection. My grandfather Edward said we had some kind of twin telepathy. We always knew when something was wrong with each other, even if we weren't physically near one another. For example, when it came to Meena's power of making herself invisible, I was the only who could find her when we were younger because of our connection. As we grew older, she learned to block me.

It was because of our connection that she told Nate Uley to not bother her. Nate didn't like the Cullens. I picked up on that easily at the reception. And I didn't care for the Uleys. Well, Gracie was all right. In fact, she was more than all right.

I couldn't help but smile as I thought of the spunky girl I'd met a couple of years ago. I could read her like a book. She was angry at her family and she had a rebellious streak that ran deep. I think that's what I liked about her. She didn't care if I was part vampire, and she especially didn't mind if it annoyed her family to hang out with me.

A sudden knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Gabriel, may I come in?" Edward called out.

"Sure, Grandfather," I replied, sitting up on my bed. He entered the room, looking his typical youthful self and sat down on the edge of my mattress.

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"No," I responded in confusion.

He stared at me for a moment, his golden eyes burning into me before he let out a little sigh. "I wish Emmett and Jasper never told you the stories about Sam Uley and his pack. They've given you an image that isn't exactly true."

"He tried to kill our family, Grandfather," I reminded him.

"Sam was trying to protect his tribe," Edward returned. "No one, not even me, knew how your mother was going to turn out. Plus, your father assumed his role as the true Alpha that night and Sam reacted to his power. You better than anyone knows what happens when two Alphas get around each other. They don't exactly think rationally."

I didn't say anything, just stared at my feet. Grandfather chuckled for a moment before patting my cheek affectionately with his cold, marble hand.

"So like your father…obstinate."

"Watch it, Leech," my father joked as he entered the room. "Besides, I think he gets that from Bella."

I opened my mouth to object to the term "leech." My father, seeing this, rolled his eyes and said, "Sorry, I know we're not allowed to say "leeches" around here. Son, you've got to lighten up and not take things so seriously."

"Is there a reason that we're having a party in my room this early?" I yawned looking at my clock. Holy crow! It wasn't even 7 AM!

"Your uncles and I are going out hunting," Edward answered, giving me a knowing look. "Would you like to come with us?"

"Yeah," I replied, stretching. I looked at my dad. "Are you coming with us?"

"Nah, your mother and I are going to stay behind," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows. My grandfather glared causing my father to snicker.

"Ugh, Dad," I muttered, making a gagging noise.

My parents were always like this. They honestly couldn't get enough of each other. My great-grandfather Carlisle said it was because they both imprinted on each other. Though my mother wasn't a wolf, her subconscious recognized her mate in my father. When a vampire finds their other half, their whole world shifts just like it does for an imprinted wolf. It happened for my grandfather when he met my grandmother. His existence was changed forever. Seeing our parents making out all the time used to creep Meena and I out when we were younger. Now Meena cared about that or little else.

"Get dressed and we'll get going," Grandfather said, getting off the bed and heading towards the door.

"Is Meena going to come with us?" I asked my father hopefully.

My dad looked pained for a moment. "No, she didn't want to. Alice and the other girls are going to force her into going shopping instead."

"You coming or what?" Uncle Emmett said, poking his head in my room. "I want to hunt some wolf."

"Emmett!" My father snapped. "You are not turning my son into a cannibal!"

"They're endangered in Vermont anyway," I reminded my uncle.

"Jeez, your father's right, kid," Emmett muttered. "You need to lighten up."

"So…can you guys give me some privacy so I can get dressed?" I asked them, looking pointedly at Emmett. They both left my room.

I grabbed a ragged t-shirt and some cruddy jeans that normally gave Aunt Alice a fit and quickly threw them on. I didn't have the finesse that Meena had when I hunted so I usually made a mess. I could go a month without blood. Meena needed to go every week so she had more practice.

As I left my room and passed my sister's, I peeped in. Meena was sitting in the middle of her bed with her knees pulled up so that her chin could rest on them. Using my powers, I saw that there was a grayish color that surrounded her which meant she was depressed…again.

"You going shopping in that?" I asked, eyeing the pink silk pajamas she was wearing.

"I'm not going," Meena said firmly, as she stared out the window.

"Have you told Aunt Alice that?" I wondered. I couldn't see Alice accepting defeat so easily.

"Yes and I told her I'd go invisible if she tried anything."

Touché. Even if Alice tried to tie Meena up and drag her out of the house, Meena could use her shield to disappear. They wouldn't even be able to tell if she was still with them or not.

"Do you want to go hunting?

Meena shook her head in response.

"Meena, you haven't been out in days. Why don't you just come wit--"

"No," she snapped before looking at me with empty eyes. "I mean, no thank you."

"Okay." I sighed, leaving her to wallow in misery. God how I hated Nate Uley for Meena's pain.

"You ready or what?" Emmett grumbled as soon as I walked down the stairs.

"Yeah," I replied, glancing up one more time in the direction of my sister's room.

"Well, let's get going then," Emmett hurried out the door like a little kid who was suddenly told there was candy outside. My grandfather chuckled next to me.

"There was a black bear spotted not too far from here," Edward explained. "You know how Emmett likes to play with his food."

"Yeah," I said in a disgusted tone.

I liked the humane approach to things. Kill it before it even has a chance to know what you're going to do. Emmett didn't follow that philosophy, especially when it came to bears. He was always trying to exact his revenge for the bear that got away…the one who'd hurt him so badly while he was still human.

We went out into the woods surrounding our Vermont estate. I knew the family was considering moving in the near future. We'd already lived here 11 years. My great-grandfather had begun to look for hospitals to work in throughout Canada. I know Esme was really hoping he'd find something on the west coast. My grandma Bella would be happy with that decision too. She wanted to be close to Charlie again.

Jasper and Emmett broke away from Edward and me so that they could hunt carnivores. My father had instilled in me the beliefs of protecting the environment from a very early age. Humans had wiped out most of the natural predators in the area in the 1900s. I refused to contribute any further to their destruction, though the black bear population was on the rise. I only would feed off herbivores to keep things in balance. I knew that my grandfather would have preferred to hunt with the others, but from the way he kept looking at me I had a feeling that he had something he wanted to discuss.

"You're right," Edward laughed as he read my thoughts. "But first, let's hunt."

We easily picked up the scent of a herd of deer. We both crouched as we spotted our targets. I jumped on a large buck and snapped its neck quickly, draining him of his blood. Grandfather did the same. The rest of the herd had taken off so we followed them, moving stealthily before capturing our next meal. Once we had our fill, we started walking slowly towards where we could hear the furious roar of a bear followed by Emmett's maniacal laugh. I looked down at my clothes and began to brush the hairs and animal tissue off my shirt. I was such a messy eater.

"I forgot to tell you," Edward said. "Our Denali friends are coming into town. Probably around the 4th of July."

"Oh…" I tried to say casually. It was no family secret that I'd had a thing for Tanya for as long as I could remember. I wondered if she would be joining the rest of the group.

My grandfather was trying very hard not to smile as he read my thoughts. "Yes, Tanya will be there too."

Another roar filtrated through the quiet woods.

"Emmett, would you just kill it already!" Jasper yelled. The bear's angry voice was suddenly cut off.

"What do you think about attending school in the fall?" Edward asked.

Meena and I had been home-schooled all of our lives due to our rapid growth spurts. We were intellectually past high school, but our parents were insistent on giving us a dose of normalcy before we hit full maturity.

"I don't know," I told him truthfully. "I guess I'm excited. We haven't had a chance to really interact with humans much."

"Or girls," my grandfather said knowingly.

"Yeah, that too," I responded, my face breaking out into a smile.

"I know you haven't had a lot of encounters with the opposite sex and I'm sure you're curious--"

"Grandfather," I interrupted. "I really hope this isn't going to be the birds and the bees sex talk."

Edward started to chuckle next to me. "No, I know Carlisle already spoke to you about that."

My face turned red as I thought about the time I'd first hit puberty. I went through a phase where the slightest thing would arouse me. It was horrible. I'd be watching TV and some girl in tight clothes would come on screen...and bam, erection. Uncle Emmett thought it was funny as hell and would leave Aunt Rosalie's _Victoria Secret_ catalogs all around the house. Even certain smells would affect me. The scent of jasmine was the worse. I once was dragged into going shopping with Alice. We passed one of those shops that burn candles and sell lotions. Normally, the combined scents burned my nose. That time though, I picked up the smell of jasmine and I had to run out of the mall.

My great-grandfather had to sit Meena and me down individually and explain how our bodies worked. When Meena started getting her period, it had been terrible for her, like she was getting a year's worth of pain all at once. I had to deal with the fact that I'd become a walking _Viagra_ commercial. Luckily for me, that phase didn't last too long. Meena still dealt with horrible menstrual cycles. My mother apparently went through the same thing, but it stopped once she hit full maturity.

"I'm just concerned about you," my grandfather continued. "You're immortal and you're going to need to be careful as to who you give your heart to."

"It worked out for you though,' I reminded Edward of his undying love for my grandmother.

He gave a half smile. "Bella was a unique case. Many humans abhor vampires. They sense the danger and instinctively shy away from us. Bella always looked past that."

I thought about it for a moment before I began to grin widely. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that Tanya's coming soon. She hasn't seen me for a few years."

"Very true," my grandfather laughed. "I guess the only thing left to decide is where you're going to go to school. The place we end up moving to or La Push."

My happy mood evaporated as I thought about La Push. My mother's family wouldn't be able to return to the area. They didn't want to be responsible for causing any of the kids on the Quileute reservation to phase.

My grandfather put his arm around me. "We'll only be a phone call away."

"What if I can't control myself?" I asked worriedly.

"You'll find a way," Edward reassured me.

"Did you see that bear?" Emmett's voice suddenly boomed. "He was 12 feet high at least!"

"I'm pretty sure he was closer to 6 feet," Jasper replied dryly. They both walked over to us.

"Did you have your talk?" Emmett asked nosily, though I was pretty sure he'd heard everything we said. Before Edward could respond, I froze.

"What is it?" My grandfather questioned.

I felt as though something were very wrong with Meena. As soon as I had that thought, Edward and I took off running back towards the house. Jasper and Emmett ran behind us. When we reached the property, we froze at the scene before us.

My father was going head to head…with Sam Uley. Meena was standing on the backyard patio next to our mother. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Sam. Carlisle was trying to speak to both shaking men.

"Gentlemen, can't we talk about this reasonably?"

"You're being selfish," Sam snapped at my father.

"I'm doing what I think is best for my children," my father replied through gritted teeth.

"No, you're putting your own needs before everyone else's. Just like always!" Sam countered. "The pack needs my son. You know how hard it is to function without your imprint, especially for an Alpha. He could die at the rate he's going. If you don't give a shit about him, can you think of the pack for once? Or is that beyond you! You never could think about anyone but yourself!"

My father began to blur. He stated in a low, menacing growl. "If I did put the pack ahead of what I felt was right, you would have killed my imprint."

Sam laughed somewhat insanely. "Would you listen to yourself? You act so goddamn pious and yet, didn't you try to kill her once yourself?"

Before anyone could react, my father lunged at Sam. As soon as they made contact, they both burst into wolf form. I had to resist the urge to join them and help my father, but he seemed to be doing fine on his own. Sam was out of shape. I don't even think he'd phased for years. My father easily threw him, but their old rivalry was igniting. Sam came back and head butted my father's side, knocking the wind out of him. They began to circle around each other.

It was around that time that I remembered that I could stop this. I walked towards them and began to think of their wives. I sent the image out to both of them. Seeing their imprints suddenly pop into their brains was enough of a distraction that they hesitated. I was suddenly hit with a wave of calmness from Jasper. Carlisle and Edward ran over to my father and pulled him back. Jasper and Emmett handled Sam. Jasper had Sam in a headlock that made him gasp briefly for air.

"Sam, I think it's time that you leave," Carlisle said firmly before looking at his sons. "Let him go."

Emmett and Jasper immediately released him. Sam backed away slowly, growling lowly before he turned into the woods and vanished. My mother flew into the house and was back in seconds holding out some shorts for my father. He took them in his teeth before disappearing into the woods. When he came back, he looked at us sheepishly.

"Sorry about that."

"You tried to kill Mom?" Meena asked in a trembling voice.

"None of us knew what your mother was," Grandfather reminded us. He looked pained as he admitted, "Even I considered the option before your mother was born."

"Why don't you and I go hunt and have a long talk, hmm?" My mother said to Meena. Meena nodded her head, not looking at our father. They went into the woods opposite of where Sam Uley had gone.

"So…uh…who wants to watch baseball?" Emmett asked.

We nodded our heads and headed back inside. I went into the kitchen and grabbed an unopened bag of sour cream and cheddar Ruffles, along with a glass of rootbeer. My dad came into the kitchen and began preparing a huge platter of nachos.

"Son, about what Sam said--"

"It's okay, Dad," I assured him. "I know how much Mom means to you."

"Thank you," my father replied, coming over to wrap his mammoth arm around my shoulder. He hugged me briefly before letting me go so that we could finish getting our food ready.

"I'm really proud of you today," my dad told me.

"Why's that?"

"For not reacting to Sam. You didn't try to attack him though he was on our property. Maybe…"

"Maybe what?" I wondered where he was going with this.

"Maybe you have enough control now that we can consider moving back to Forks."

"Oh…" I said dumbly, looking down at the plate as he continued to prepare our nachos.

My father sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you Gabe. Your mother and I are very concerned over Meena's behavior. She seems to be getting more despondent everyday."

"Yeah, I know."

"Of course," My dad nodded. "Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to go back to Forks for a little while. Do you think you'd be okay with that?"

"I never asked Meena to fight her imprint," I reminded him.

"I know that, but you know Meena won't do anything if she thinks it will hurt you."

"Dad…I-I just don't know if I can handle myself around Nate Uley. I've never felt so much hate and rage towards one person as I did when I was confronting that guy."

"It's been two years, Gabe. Maybe things will be different. And if they aren't…well, we'll just figure it out then."

I nodded, not sure how to respond. I was filled with apprehension. I was so much stronger than I'd been two years ago. My vampire powers had become more defined as well as my wolf powers. If Nate and I got into it again, who would win?

My father finished making our nachos and we headed back into the living room. He sat on the couch farthest from the other guys. They put up with human food in their house, but they thought the smell was disgusting. Before I grabbed anything to eat, I ran upstairs to take a quick shower. I threw my soiled clothes in the hamper and washed the remaining animal residue off my skin. Grabbing a t-shirt and jogging shorts, I pulled them on, my stomach growling from the smell of the cheesy nachos calling to me. Blood was never enough to fill me, though Great-Grandfather said that was because I was a teenager and still growing.

The game was almost over when Meena and our mother walked into the house. Meena's eyes were red and puffy. She went over and hugged our father and then without saying a word, headed up the stairs to her room, quietly closing the door behind her.

"She okay?" My dad asked.

"Yeah," my mother replied. "Can we go talk somewhere?"

My father jumped up from the couch, grabbing my mom's hand and heading to their room. They turned on the radio…a sign that they were either doing things I never wanted to think about, or they were discussing something that warranted absolute privacy.

"She just wants to talk to your father about Meena. Nothing to worry about," my grandfather told me.

I nodded and finished off my bag of chips, washing it down with the rest of my rootbeer. We spent the rest of the day watching games. My parents never returned. Neither did Meena. The women got home from their shopping excursion carrying more bags than should have been possible. Alice handed me a couple and reminded me to hang up what was inside. Looking at the bag, I shook my head as I saw the name _Versace._

Finally, I got ready for bed. When I woke up the next day, my father called Meena and me into a family meeting. We went for a hike like we used to when Meena and I were little. When we reached our favorite clearing, Meena and I sat down on a fallen log. My dad began to pace.

"Your mother and I talked about it all day and night yesterday and we've decided that it's time to move back to Forks. We're going to enroll you in the school on the rez." My father explained, his eyes lingering on Meena as he said this. "I talked to your great-grandfather and he said we could stay in the house in Forks. Alice and Jasper are working on the paperwork so we can get you enrolled in school."

"When do we leave?" Meena spoke up. I looked over at her. The color surrounding her, which had been a drab grayish color for months, suddenly was a bright cheery yellow.

"We'll be moving in August," our mother said. "That will give us plenty of time to get things organized."

"Gabriel?" My father questioned. I looked at him. "Are you okay with this?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied, looking at Meena and giving her a weak smile. I just hoped when we got there I didn't kill Meena's imprint. If she was a zombie just from being separated from the jackass, I couldn't imagine how she'd react if I killed him.

"No," Meena suddenly said. "I don't think we should go back."

I knew she was rejecting the idea because of me. Already I could see her surrounding color fading. I wouldn't allow her to fall into the depression she'd been in again.

"No," I replied firmly. "I want to go back. It'll be nice to see Charlie and Billy again. I'm okay with this, Meena."

I looked at my parents. "This is a good idea."

"Are you sure, Gabe?" Meena asked softly.

I looked over at my twin. The uncertainty on her face made me feel ashamed of myself. I hated that she was so miserable because of me.

"Absolutely," I replied and was filled with satisfaction as Meena's face lit up.

"I guess we're all agreed," my dad said jubilantly. "I've gotta call Dad."

We headed back to the house. Meena asked Alice and Rosalie to take her shopping and they were off. When they came back, Alice was beaming and Meena had a whole new wardrobe. I didn't think it was possible, but they bought even more than Alice had the day before. For the next month, we began preparations. Esme hired a service to clean up the property in Forks. Jasper was able to get all of our paperwork needed for school. We were going to pose as Mom and Dad's niece and nephew, since neither looked old enough to have children our age.

I was taking a shower the day of July 4th when I picked up the unique scent of jasmine. I started becoming aroused and had to chuckle. Some things didn't change even after I hit the first couple of years of puberty. I quickly and quietly took care of my problem, before getting out of the shower. I could hear the voices of my family below along with several new voices. My heart did an excited lurch as I realized that Tanya was here.

I went back into the bathroom and combed my hair until it shined, slicking it back with some gel. It was getting too long, already growing past my ears. I then went into my room and deliberated over my clothes. I didn't want to look like a slob, but I didn't want to look like I was _trying_ not to look like a slob either. Finally deciding on some khaki shorts and a black t-shirt, I made my way downstairs.

"You remember my son?" My father's voice boomed. I cringed inwardly. I really was hoping for a more dignified introduction.

I nodded at Kate, Garrett, Carmen, and Eleazar, before my eyes rested on Tanya. The scent of jasmine was coming from her. She was even more beautiful than I remembered. Her soft strawberry blonde hair was pulled off her face into a ponytail. She was wearing a white summer dress with spaghetti straps. It emphasized her curves in all the right places.

"This is Gabe?" Carmen's voice broke my fixated stare. "He has grown up, no?"

"He certainly has," Tanya replied softly.

"It's good to see you again, Tanya," I said, my voice sounding unnaturally deep to my own ears.

I heard Emmett snort, followed by an "oof" as Rosalie hit him. Everyone began talking again. Tanya, Carmen, and Kate sat on the couch while Meena sat in a chair next to them. The rest of the females of my family positioned themselves in the living room as they got caught up with one another. The guys, not wanting to hear the latest gossip went out into the backyard to play horseshoes. Horseshoes, vampire style was always amusing. The posts were separated 100 feet. We had to be careful not to break the actual shoes when we threw them.

Torn between wanting to stay and stare at Tanya, or going outside and trying to look good in _front_ of Tanya, I chose neither and went into the kitchen for some food. I was in the middle of making a sandwich, when I heard someone enter the room. Without having to look, I knew it was _her_.

"I can't believe how grown up you are now, Gabriel. How old are you?" Tanya's melodic voice floated over to me. I looked over and realized how tiny she was compared to me. She was so incredibly enchanting…the first true seductress.

"I'm around 18," I told her, stretching the truth. I was actually about 17 according to Great-Grandfather, but as my father used to say, age is just a number.

"Eighteen…what a perfect age." Tanya smiled, moving over to me. She pushed her way between me and the kitchen island, pausing to rest her hands on my hips and pressing herself ever so briefly against me. Looking up at me coyly, she whispered, "Excuse me, I want to wash my hands."

She moved slowly away from me and headed over to the sink. Her jasmine scent went straight to the area that was reacting with embarrassing swiftness to her presence. She smiled brazenly over her shoulder at me as she began to wash her hands. It was enough to make my ever present hormones go ballistic. The wolf inside me wanted to mate with someone. I didn't need an imprint for that. Groaning, I went over to her and pulled her firm bottom against my arousal.

Pressing my lips against her neck, I mumbled lowly, "You drive me crazy. You have for years."

"Mmhmm…I know," Tanya murmured, reaching behind her to grasp my erection through my shorts. "There's nothing more attractive than a man who wants a woman. I'm glad you're old enough now for this."

Running my sharp teeth along her marble skin, I reached down and pulled up the hem of her dress and pushed my way into her panties. Tanya arched against me as I made contact with her womanly bud. The heat coming from that area was a tantalizing contrast to the rest of her cold skin.

"Tanya," Kate called out. "We're going into town. Are you coming?"

"Almost," Tanya said so low that I knew only I could hear her. I groaned quietly as she pulled away. She turned around and gave me a butterfly whisper of a kiss against my lips.

"I'm _so_ glad you've grown up, Gabriel," she murmured, before adjusting her clothes and leaving the kitchen without looking back.

I took the stairs that were in the kitchen and headed back up to my room, giving my body time to calm down before I went downstairs again to join the guys in horseshoes. Later that night we headed into Bennington, the largest city near us, and watched the fireworks. Grandfather kept eyeing both Tanya and me, but every time he went to say something Bella stopped him.

Later that night, I tossed and turned in my bed as I tried to sleep. There was a thunderstorm outside, but since it was night the family couldn't go out and play baseball, which was our normal tradition. I heard Emmett curse a couple of times and complain about missing out on a perfect opportunity.

Finally getting up from my bed, I went over to my window. In the distance, I saw someone walking along the edge of our property. My heart began to gallop wildly as I realized it was Tanya. I hopped out my window, landing on the ground with a quiet thud that was hidden by a loud clasp of thunder. Tanya smiled at me, using her pointer finger and motioning me to follow her.

As soon as we were out of sight, I grabbed Tanya's hand. We made it as far as the clearing before I turned and pulled her into my arms. Our lips crashed together as the rain poured down on us. Her wet dress was plastered against her skin. I got on my knees and sucked on the pebbles of her breasts through her clothes.

We didn't waste too much time. It was as though the storm was encouraging our frenzied coming together. Tanya ripped off her dress and silk panties and laid on the ground, her arms reaching for me. I pushed down my pants, becoming even harder as I took in Tanya's awed reaction. I settled between her thighs and plunged inside her warmth.

I had never done this before. And yet, it didn't matter. I didn't have any nerves as I expected I would my first time. We were perfectly matched. We continued to thrust together as the air above us became tumultuous.

"Gabe," Tanya suddenly shouted as her back arched. Her insides began to clench around me. The incredible sensations became too much and I exploded, closing my eyes as I let my euphoria carry me away.

That night Tanya, the original succubus, turned a boy into a man.

_**A/N – Please Review! If you'd like to see a picture of the Denali Coven, check out my photobucket account (the link is on my profile page), and then go to the "fan fic families" album.**_


	4. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

_A/N – If you read chapter 3 in the first 24 hrs it was posted, I went back and added some things to clear up any confusion. Eleazar and Garrett were both there so I made a note of that. Also, I added something to the exchange in the kitchen between Tanya and Gabe. It's right before he grabs her and starts kissing her neck. Some of you were wondering if Gabe imprinted on Tanya. The answer is no. I went back and wrote exactly what was going through his head. Everything about the twins is magnified because of their hybrid status (for example, Meena gets a year's worth of periods in one menstrual cycle). Gabe's had a massive crush on Tanya for years, and her perfume acts like an aphrodisiac to him. Combine that with his massive amount of hormones, and you get the quickie sex that was in the last chapter. _

_And I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of me and my stories. To Arcadia, thanks for the PM you sent. I tried to respond to you, but you have that feature turned off. I really appreciated what you said though. _

* * *

_Part, fools! Put up your swords. You know not what you do.  
_

_Romeo & Juliet_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 4 – The Good, The Bad, The Ugly**

_August 25, 2025_

Nate's POV

Blackness. That's what my life had become since I'd imprinted. Pure, unending blackness.

When I had first become a wolf, I'd witnessed imprinting inside the numerous heads of wolves who had already imprinted. I thought it was amazing. Well, no that wasn't true. The day I first became a wolf was the day Claire had gotten assaulted by some burglar. My first glimpse at an imprint bond was the insane terror Quil had felt when he'd realized what had happened. But once everything calmed down, I could see the love the wolves felt towards their imprintees. Collin had Lindsey and he adored the very air she breathed. Brady had imprinted on Quil and Claire's daughter and he worshipped her…though their love was on a purely innocent, unromantic level since Kayley was only a toddler. And for a very short time after I had become a wolf, my father had continued to phase for a few weeks right before he officially retired. I'd felt the love he had for my mom…disturbing sure…but infallible nonetheless. And I saw how Quil's love had saved Claire time and time again. So I thought imprinting was a gift. I had actually looked forward to experiencing it myself.

What the fuck was I thinking?

At first it wasn't so bad after Meena and the Blacks had gone back to Vermont. I was able to pretend that their absence was temporary. I had no doubt in mind that they'd be back soon enough, even if that asshat, Gabriel Black, had to accompany them. But I figured Jacob knew what it was like to imprint. He wouldn't deny me access to Meena.

Then as days turned to weeks and months and there was still no sign of the Blacks moving back, I began to grow restless. I started having trouble concentrating in school and for patrol. I ended up making Devlin Wakeh my beta because I couldn't keep my mind on things. The decision to make Dev my beta probably showed my state of mind. I could have gone with Seth, Brady, or Azra. I mean, they had seniority. But nope, I went with Dev because his mother was a Black…and he was first cousins with my imprint.

When it had gone on six months without contact, I literally felt like I was crawling out of my skin. Devlin took pity on me and programmed Meena's cell phone number into my phone when I wasn't looking. I called her only once and she told me never to call her again. She said it in a way that would've made her Alpha father proud. I never tried to contact her again, even though it felt like my soul was being ripped to shreds.

I then talked to Embry Call. He had imprinted on Jacob's sister Rebecca years ago. Rebecca was currently living in Hawaii with her husband and son, though Devlin told me that his aunt and her husband had recently separated. I tried to talk to Embry about that once, but he'd shut me out. The subject of Rebecca was firmly off limits. So I told him about my pain instead. I talked to him about how much it was slowly killing me to be away from my imprint. He gave me two pieces of advice. I could either go out, get trashed, and have pain inducing sex every night like he had done when he'd first imprinted. If you slept with someone who wasn't your imprint, it literally hurt you. For Embry, physical pain had been better than the emotional hell he'd been living in. Or, he told me I could stick to school, graduate, and then go to med school…which was the next step he took. So basically Embry was no help at all.

Devlin tried to offer advice. He was, after all, an imprinted wolf himself. Jared's daughter a.k.a. Dev's imprint, Hanna, was entering her last year of school at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. After she was done there, she had already been accepted to Julliard in New York for musical study. There was no chance that she'd be moving back to La Push anytime soon. I knew that Dev was worried that once she went to New York she'd find some guy her own age. Devlin was 13 now and a lot more interested in the opposite sex than he had been when he first imprinted. His feelings were transitioning from friendship to a deeper, more romantic connection, but Hanna at 17 still saw Dev as her young friend. But at least they kept in touch through email and talked at least once a week on the phone. I had nothing.

The past few months were the worse though. I could barely get out of bed. I hated feeling so stupid and useless over a girl who clearly didn't want me, but I couldn't help but think maybe I was feeling so miserable because Meena was too. It did little to comfort me though. I finally became a vegetable, only leaving my room to use the bathroom and occasionally shower when I couldn't stand my own stench any longer. I had trouble eating and knew I was dropping too much weight. Over the past few weeks, I had blocked everything and everyone out. Only one person was finally able to snap me out of my self-induced mini-coma.

"Get out of bed, dork. It's the first day of school and Dad said if you don't get up, he's going to hospitalize you," my sister said, getting on my mattress and jumping on it. My noise wrinkled in disgust as I picked up the combined scent of sex and alcohol, which meant that Gracie had snuck out to her boyfriend's again.

"You better take a shower before Dad gets near you," I mumbled, my voice raspy from disuse.

"Ugh, you wolves and your freak sense of smell," Gracie grumbled before sitting at the foot of my bed. "But hey, at least you're alive."

"Would you get out of my room before the stench of Zack Murray saturates it?"

"Whatever," Gracie said, getting up from my bed and heading for the door. I was about to pull the sheet back over my head when she added casually, "Oh…by the way, the Blacks moved back to town. I overheard Rachel Wakeh tell Mom that the twins are going to be in school today."

"What?" I jerked up. Gracie just smiled evilly at me before turning to leave the room.

If she was kidding, I'd kill her. I got up quickly and had to hold my arms out to steady myself. I felt like I had sea legs. After regaining my balance, I flew down the stairs where my parents were drinking coffee.

"Nate," my mom said in joyful surprise. "You're up."

"Is it true?" I asked.

"Is what true?" My dad asked with a knowing smirk.

"The Blacks," I said impatiently. "Did the Blacks move back?"

"Yes, it's true," my dad replied, before getting up from the table. He bent over and kissed the three scars on my mom's cheek before he kissed her lips. "I gotta go."

He grabbed the container that had his lunch in it and headed out the door. My father worked for Jared Becknell's construction company. Jared had inherited it from his old man.

"Nate, can I get you something to eat?" My mom asked, eyeing my frame with a pain filled expression. I didn't have time to be concerned about that. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realized I only had an hour to get ready for school. I flew back up the stairs, but Gracie was in the bathroom.

"Shit," I muttered. Gracie was infamously known for taking her sweet old time when it came to her morning routine.

Going back downstairs, I grabbed a bowl of cereal. I suddenly was ravenous. My mom got up and made some scrabbled eggs and toast for me as well. The more I ate the happier she looked. I ran back to my room once I was done and deliberated what to wear. I finally decided on a white t-shirt and green cargo shorts. When I only had a half hour until I had to be at school, I pounded on the bathroom door and told Gracie to get out. Ten minutes later, Gracie strolled out. I flew through my shower so I could spend extra time styling my hair into a small Mohawk. I brushed my teeth, using more mouthwash than normal for extra minty breath. I managed to get ready in 10 minutes. Pulling on my shorts, they immediately fell down. Damn! How much weight had I lost?

I pulled my pants back up, ran to my room, and grabbed a belt. Finally ready, I went downstairs and hopped into my vehicle. While I didn't get to use it a lot, I loved my car. It was a 1970 black Chevrolet Chevelle. For a distraction, I had spent the past year rebuilding it at Quil and Seth's garage…that was before the pain became too much and I spent my summer as a vegetable.

Gracie jumped in and we took off. As soon as we got to the school, she got out and joined her stoner friends. Her boyfriend immediately grabbed her and they began making out. God, I really wished Ryan would move back. He called to check up on her every once in awhile, but I knew he'd moved on with some senator's daughter named Sarah Maxx. Ever since he'd left, Gracie had been slowly spinning out of control. When she wasn't off having sex with that loser, they were getting wasted. My parents grounded her numerous times, but it never affected Gracie. Our father was considering sending her to boarding school (preferably somewhere near Washington D.C. and Ryan) if she didn't shape up.

I looked away from the spectacle that was my sister and casually glanced around the parking lot. Meena wasn't there yet. I would have felt it if she was anyway. Sighing, I made my way into the school.

"Hi Nate," a girl called out.

Looking up, I saw the slightly out of focused face of Jessie Browner. Jessie was a freshman who'd had a crush on me since seventh grade. The middle school and high school were combined due to our small amount of students on the rez. The good news was that Devlin also attended the same school as me.

"Hey Jessie," I replied before hurrying to my locker.

"Did you have a good summer?" She asked, trailing after me.

"Yeah, it was fine." I smiled briefly in her direction.

Jessie was like every other girl I'd met since imprinting. I couldn't see her face clearly. The only females I could see were girls who hadn't hit puberty yet and other imprintees. For awhile, it was thought that wolves couldn't see any person of the opposite sex, with the exception of former female wolf, Leah Clearwater-Gordon. Then it was discovered that we could actually see children (who weren't a threat yet to the imprint bond) and other wolves' imprints. The pack just never realized it because they were too distracted by their own imprints. But imprintees share a connection to their wolves that is equal to what we feel towards each other. They are as much a part of the pack as the wolves are. It probably would have been weird if we _couldn't_ see them.

"Hey man," Devlin suddenly said next to me. "It's good to see you out."

"It's good to be out." I grinned at him.

"So I take it you heard the news that my cousin moved to town," Devlin said with a knowing look.

"Yeah, I heard that this morning."

"Cousin?" Jessie asked. I had forgotten she was even there.

"Meena," I said the name in a tone that was sheer reverence.

All of a sudden Jessie's face became absolutely clear…a sign that she was in pain.

"Oh…well, I gotta go," she suddenly said. "See you later."

She hurried off. Feeling slightly guilty, I turned to Devlin.

"So I take it _all_ the Blacks moved back."

"Yeah, Gabe's here too." Dev confirmed my suspicions.

I nodded and then froze. The pull that I always felt at the base of my spine suddenly strengthened. I took a deep breath and could pick up a scent that I had longed to smell for over two years…wildflowers and forest. I turned and there she was.

It was like something out of a movie where the beautiful girl comes on screen and everything slows down and music begins to play. Meena opened the door and her hair blew gently in the breeze. She seemed to walk in slow motion. Hell, there was even music from someone's I-Pod playing somewhere. Everyone around her seemed to stop what they were doing and stare as she walked by. Not that she noticed. She had her eyes firmly on the schedule in her hand. Several of the guys she passed literally had their mouths hanging open and some of the girls were giving her evil looks. She didn't quit moving until she was within 10 feet of me. Then she stopped. Her head slowly lifted and I was looking into the brilliant green of her eyes.

"Hello Meena," I said softly.

She bit her lip before answering, "Hello Nate. It's nice to see you again."

She glanced next to me and saw her cousin. "Hey Dev."

"Hey Meena, where's Gabe?" Devlin asked. I could have cheerfully strangled him.

"He's parking the car," Meena replied, before looking at me. She brow furrowed as her eyes ran over me. "Have you been sick?"

"Hmm…" I responded stupidly.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me." Her cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink. She looked at me with a frown and repeated, "Have you though?"

"I'm okay now," I assured her. There seemed to be a light that surrounded her as I looked at her. And then things got very dark and I tensed as Gabriel Black came into the building.

Gabe received the same reaction that Meena did. People stopped and stared at him. It was obvious that both Blacks with their unusually pale skin didn't quite fit in. The guys just eyed Gabe curiously, some looking at him challengingly. He towered over everyone but me. He also seemed to have developed a cocky swagger that he hadn't had before. The girls started whispering excitedly to each other as Gabe passed them by. My sister's friend, Ari, actually fell back against her locker with her hand pressed to her heart as he walked by her.

"Hey Dev," Gabe said as he came towards us.

I kept my eyes firmly on Meena so that I could resist the sudden urge to attack. Gabe ignored me as well. Devlin looked torn between not wanting to show favoritism between his cousins and his Alpha.

"Hi Gabe," Devlin finally said.

Still not acknowledging me, Gabe stated, "Meena, we still have to meet with the principal."

"Yes, of course," Meena replied before looking at me. "It was good to see you again."

"Yeah, you too," I responded quietly.

She moved past me and continued down the hall. All the guys watched every step she took. The wolf inside me wanted to grab her and publicly claim her as mine. I had to fight hard to resist the urge. I turned and noticed that Gabe hadn't moved. His hands were clenched as he stared at me. I folded my arms in front of me and stared right back. This prick was on my turf. Gritting his teeth, he finally looked away. With slightly shaking hands, he trailed after his sister.

"So…that went well, I think," Devlin said.

I snorted and headed for my first class. History first thing in the morning would have sucked except that Rafe Elwah was the teacher. Rafe had been a member of my dad's pack. He had phased around the time of the great "Volturi Visit." After he'd graduated from high school, he'd retired from the pack and moved to Arizona. It was there that he met his imprint Manda. They had three kids and had only moved back to La Push a couple of years ago. He nodded at me when he saw me. I took a seat in the back as I didn't want to sit in front of anyone shorter than me and block their view.

Just as the bell rang, my pull to Meena strengthened. The door to the classroom opened and she walked in. The excited chatter going around the room instantly silenced as my fellow students took in the stranger before them. I straightened as my eyes locked on her. I saw Zack, my sister's boyfriend, perk up as well. A slight growl erupted from me. He looked around in confusion, trying to figure out what he'd heard, and then slumped back down. Meena glanced at me before looking quickly away. I was pretty sure that for a brief second a smile appeared on her face.

"Meena, welcome to the Quileute Tribal School," Rafe said, handing her a history book. "Why don't you go ahead and have a seat…"

I met Rafe's eyes and silently begged him to have Meena sit next to me. He smirked a little.

"Go ahead and have a seat next to Nate," Rafe instructed. Meena's face turned slightly pink as she made her way towards me. I scooted over a chair so that she could have the aisle seat.

"Okay class…" Rafe began. I couldn't even bother to tear my eyes away from Meena's profile to pay attention. "I'm going to pass out the semester's syllabus. I hope you like who you're sitting next to, because you'll be writing a term paper with that person which is worth 40% of your grade."

Rafe continued to speak, but at that point I completely tuned him out. I felt like I had just won the lottery. Meena and I were going to have to write a paper together. We were going to need to spend extra time out of class together. My day suddenly just improved. I managed to tear my eyes away from the side of her face and instead tuned into my other senses. I breathed in her addicting floral scent. I listened to her heartbeat. It was naturally slightly faster than the other humans in the room, and I found if I leaned towards her, it would speed up. I was fascinated by the sound. Finally, class ended. Meena and I turned and stared at one another.

"I was--"

"What are--"

We both started to speak at the same time and then stopped. It was so awkward and yet I didn't want to leave her side.

"Go ahead," I nodded.

"I was just wondering what you thought our topic should be for the term paper."

"Oh," I said, looking down at the listed topics we could cover. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"Well…" Meena started to say in a conspiring tone. I was about to remind her that as Rafe was a former wolf, he still had heightened senses and could hear her whisper, but she suddenly leaned into my personal space. I didn't say a word.

"Why don't we write about the Civil War?" Meena continued. "I just happen to know someone who is very familiar with that subject."

"Yeah?" I replied, distracted by the mischievous smile forming on her lips.

"My Uncle Jasper was in the Confederate Army."

I chuckled in return. "Let's do it then."

"Good," Meena responded, looking into my eyes.

I don't know how long we sat there like that before Rafe came up and reminded us to get to our next class. We headed out into the hall, neither in a huge hurry.

"So what's your next class?" I asked.

"Oh…" Meena said, looking down at her schedule. "Bio-Chemistry."

I sighed. "I've got Spanish. What else are you taking?"

Meena handed me her schedule. My heart leapt when I noticed we had Calculus, English Lit, and Economics together. In fact, the only things we didn't have together were our second hour and last hour classes.

"I guess I'll see you in Calculus then," I told her, smiling widely.

"Okay," Meena nodded happily.

We both slowly turned away from each other and walked to our next class. The next hour dragged as I waited impatiently for it to be over. As soon as the clock hit the time indicating the class was over, I flew out of my seat and rushed to my next class. I grabbed a seat and waited expectantly for Meena. She came in a few minutes later. She took a couple of hesitant steps before she rushed over and sat next to me.

"So how do you like living here?" I asked.

"It's nice. We moved back a few days ago. We've been catching up with family."

Man, I must have really been out of it to not know that Meena was back in town. I remembered my mother had tried talking to me a few days ago about something, but I'd had to hard a time concentrating on what she was saying so I didn't even bother listening.

"I'm really glad you came back," I told her gently. I reached out my hand and placed it next to hers where it rested on the table. I could feel the heat of her skin. If I moved my hand just slightly, we'd be touching.

"I'm glad we came back too," Meena said shyly.

"You're Meena, right?" A female voice questioned.

I looked over and saw my sister's friend Ari standing in front of us. To my disappointment, Meena moved her hand away.

"Yes, I am," Meena responded.

"Welcome to La Push," Ari said brightly.

My own eyes narrowed in suspicion. I didn't trust this girl for anything. She got my sister into alcohol and who knew what else, and she encouraged Gracie to date Zack. She was one of my least favorite people in the world. I was surprised that she could even get into Calculus. I would have figured all the pot she smoked would have killed her brain cells by now.

"Thank you," Meena replied to Ari.

"So your brother…is he dating anyone?" Ari went right to the heart of the matter.

"Not um…not really," Meena said, glancing quickly at me.

"Perfect." Ari looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. "Well, see ya."

Before I could say anything else to Meena, the teacher began class. I let her drone on, but my entire focus was on my imprint. I had a feeling that with us having four classes together, I wouldn't be able to concentrate much my senior year. I hoped I'd just be able to pass everything so that I could graduate. While the teacher continued to talk, I shifted my leg ever so slightly to my left until it was right against Meena's. Meena's eyelids fanned down against her cheeks momentarily, before she opened them again. She pressed her leg against mine, sending waves of pleasure over me. We sat that way for the rest of the class. I reluctantly broke away when the bell rang, indicating lunch.

"Do you want to sit with me and Devlin for lunch?" I asked hopefully.

Meena looked reluctant as she said, "I'm having lunch with my brother."

"Oh…right," I replied disappointedly. If my brief encounter with Gabe Black earlier today had taught me anything, it was that we shouldn't be near each other for too long.

Meena got up and headed to her locker. I followed, unable to stop myself as I watched her walk ahead of me. I tried very hard not to pay attention to all the guys who were watching her. They had been my classmates and friends for years. Now they were all my competition. Just because I imprinted on Meena didn't mean she'd choose me, especially with her jackass brother constantly coming between us.

This was the first time either Black had attended public school. What if Meena decided to go out with someone else? Just the thought made me go over to my locker and yank it open without even trying the lock. I heard something snap inside.

"Dammit," I muttered.

"Yeah, you gotta work on that temper if you plan on impressing Meena," Devlin said, appearing next to me.

I sighed. "I know it."

"C'mon. They're having chicken and gravy for lunch today," Devlin said excitedly.

What he was so happy about, I had no idea. The chicken was usually a greenish tinge and the gravy always congealed. Still, the guy was technically a teen and had a teenage appetite. Then again, so was I. I just wasn't very hungry at the moment.

We found an empty table and sat down with our food. A few friends came over and sat with us. I had always had a lot of friends. My father being chief of the tribe certainly helped the Uleys' standing in the community. But the one person I wanted to sit with, I couldn't, so I barely spoke to anyone else.

I knew the moment that Gabe and Meena walked into the room. I could pick up her sweet scent and his vile stench. He smelled a lot like Meena, but there was something else to him. Something that made my nose burn in warning. Perhaps it was one Alpha reacting to the other, but I felt instantly aggressive and on edge.

"Change seats with me," I told Dev.

"What?" Devlin said with his spoon halfway to his mouth. He looked behind me and said, "Oh."

We got up and switched sides so I could watch Meena the entire time. She played with some food on her plate but never ate it. Gabe had no problems with eating. He ate all of his food within minutes and then casually began taking things off Meena's plate as well. I wanted to go over and break his fingers so he wouldn't be able to take anything that belonged to her, but somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that Meena didn't eat a lot of human food. One of the many facts I'd learned from Devlin.

I hurried to my next class and again saved a seat for Meena. As soon as she saw me, she came over and sat down. Some of the awkwardness that had been there earlier wasn't as apparent now. She told me about how much she missed her grandparents and aunts and uncles. I told her about some of the fun things to do around the rez. By the time we got to our fifth hour, people were whispering to each other about us, but I didn't care. They could talk all they wanted. I was just so happy that Meena was around, I felt like I was flying.

When I entered the locker room for my last class of the day, the room was filled with hushed voices. They stopped as soon as I walked in. Gracie's boyfriend, Zack, walked over to me.

"So what's the deal with you and that Meena? You two gotta thing going on or what?"

"What do you care? You're dating my sister, remember?" I replied menacingly.

"Hey, I can look…I just can't touch, right?" He joked, looking around with a wide smirk on his face as his brainless friends snickered. I got right in his face.

"No…you can't look," I growled. Zack took a couple of nervous steps away and scurried back over to his friends.

I quickly changed into my gym clothes and walked into the gymnasium. Our teacher was already there setting up basketballs. Ms. Ldut was a stick figure of a woman who hailed from Australia. How she ended up in La Push was a mystery. She loved sports, especially swimming. She was obsessed with all things relating to the Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe. One fellow student, who was either very brave or very stupid, wore a Michael Phelps t-shirt to school one day last year. Ms. Ldut came up with a really weak excuse and gave him detention for a week.

I grabbed a ball and started shooting hoops. I hit every single one. It wasn't hard when you were genetically engineered to hit a target dead-on, even if you were running 200 mph. I knew Ms. Ldut had approached my parents about having me join the basketball team, but my parents told her I was too busy with extracurricular activities with the tribe. I was about to take another shot when I froze. Turning slowly, I watched as Gabe Black came out into the gym. We stared at each other for a moment before his eyes glanced off me. He grabbed a ball and started shooting in the opposite hoop. He, like me, hit every shot.

Stupid showoff. I continued to shoot the ball. For every woosh sound my ball made as it went through the net, it was always answered with the same sound coming from the opposite hoop. I could hear students gathering around as they watched us. Pretty soon, I was slam dunking and doing 3-pointers. Every shot I did, Gabe matched me. At one point we weren't even looking at the net. We kept eyeing each other up and shooting over our shoulders…and we apparently continued to hit each shot going by the crowd's reaction. Finally, a sharp whistle blew that hurt both Gabe's and my extra sensitive hearing.

"As much as I'm sure we've all enjoyed the Nate and Gabe show," Ms. Ldut said with a startled look in her eyes as she took us both in. "This class is meant for all students. We will be breaking up into teams. Gabe and Nate, you can both be captains. Also, I need two more captains…Zack and Chloe."

Zack and Chloe's team were set to play each other and for some stupid reason, Ms. Ldut decided it would be a brilliant idea to have Gabe's team play mine. She handed Gabe a ball. He immediately threw it at me.

"Your team can shoot first, sport," Gabe sneered.

"Really? Who says 'sport' anymore?" I asked sarcastically, before throwing the ball right back at him. "Besides, _visitors _should go first."

At this point, the fact that Gabe was my imprint's brother didn't even register in my head. He was the enemy. He was on my territory. He was going down!

"Well, I say 'sport,' Gabe scoffed. "And like I said…it's your ball."

Gabe whipped the ball back to me. We continued like this, each pass becoming more aggressive. The other students on our team were forgotten. Somehow, our innocent game of basketball started to become a deadly game of dodgeball. We weren't passing to anyone else on our teams. We were too busy throwing the ball at each other's faces trying to knock the other out. The ball began to slowly deflate with every pass. I could hear people either whining at not being included or laughing at us.

Finally realizing that things were getting _slightly_ out of control, and that we were creating a scene, I moved just as Gabe threw the ball again. Unfortunately, Ms. Ldut chose that moment to come over to yell at us and the ball hit her squarely in the face. She dropped like deadweight. The students rushed around her to see if she was all right. I made sure that we hadn't killed her before turning on Gabe.

"You friggin idiot, you could have killed her," I yelled. "Fucking Cullens are all the same!"

"I'm a Black! The heir of Ephraim Black! You're nothing but a second rate Uley."

"Yeah?" I snapped back. "And you're nothing but the son of a coward…a man who turned his back on his own tribe!"

And with that, Gabe lunged at me. Now, how neither of us phased was anyone's guess. We rolled on the floor, pounding the ever living shit out of each other, before we were yanked apart by Devlin and Rafe. Rafe wasn't nearly as powerful as me, but he had the element of surprise and pushed me outside away from Gabe. I just had gotten my bearings back when I grabbed Rafe by the shirt and slammed him against the wall, letting out a feral growl.

"Nate," Rafe said cautiously, holding up his hands in a gesture of meekness. The wolf inside me realized that this wasn't the enemy I longed to hurt. I let go and took a step back before really focusing on my surroundings. I looked at Rafe in shock. I had never felt so out of control before.

"Rafe, I'm so sorry--" I began to say, but Rafe shook his head.

"Forget about it. You've got bigger problems."

I was about to ask what he was talking about when I heard the siren of a cop car. Shit!

"C'mon," he said, leading me back inside.

Devlin and Gabe were standing next to each other. It looked like Dev had a large bruise on the side of his face. Luckily, he was keeping his face turned away from the other students. If anyone saw him right now, and then saw him again tomorrow after he was completely healed, they'd wonder about it. A medic was attending Ms. Ldut. The principal of the school ran into the gymnasium at that moment.

"Both of you," he said, looking at Gabe and me. "In my office. Now!"

We both followed, keeping our eyes off each other. We were forced to wait outside of the principal's office as he made calls to our parents. I heard my mother say she'd be right there and I silently groaned. While my father was seen as the formidable parent, my mother was downright frightening when she was pissed. Even my dad backed off if my mom lost it, because it so rarely happened. I heard the principal also speak to Renesmee Cullen.

"Come in," Principal Shadow said. We both got up from our chairs and went inside the small room. We sat down again, scooting our chairs as far from each other as we could.

"Well…" the principal stated. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Things got out of hand," I mumbled.

"Do you think?" Principal Shadow said, as he got up and began to pace the office. "Ms. Ldut will most likely have to spend some time in the hospital because of your conduct. You could serve jail time for assault."

Just then, Mac Pachena walked into the office. Mac was another former wolf from my dad's pack. He was also currently an officer for the Forks Police Department. Our rez was too small for its own law enforcement…and it didn't really need one with the pack anyway…so we relied on Charlie Swan's officers to help out in times of need.

"Hey Mac, how's Jay?" I asked stupidly. I was referring to his 12-year-old son. I'd noticed Jay had begun to sprout up a lot lately at an alarming rate. If a vampire ever showed up, I was pretty sure he'd be the next to phase.

Mac raised an eyebrow in response to my question. Oh right. Probably not such a good idea to let the principal know of my close association with the local law enforcement. And if friggin Black wasn't so close to me, I probably would have thought about that more clearly. Sure enough, Principal Shadow turned an interesting shade of purple as he began to spurt in indignation.

"You know these boys?" He asked.

"I know most of the kids on the rez, Reggie, as do you. Everyone grew up here, after all," Mac reminded him. "Let's get to business."

Rafe walked in at that moment. "I just spoke with Ms. Ldut. She doesn't want to press any charges."

"Will she sign a statement?" The principal asked, an eyebrow lifting.

"I already have it," Rafe said, lifting up a signed document. I let out a breath that I'd been unconsciously holding.

"Great, then I'm not needed here," Mac remarked, giving me a quick wink before heading out the door. As he was walking out, Renesmee and my mother both showed up. Going by the slightly out of breath look Renesmee had, I guessed that she ran the whole way. Rafe went over and gave my mom a quick hug, before nodding to Renesmee and leaving.

"Mrs. Uley, always a pleasure," Principal Shadow instantly began sucking up to my mom. Sometimes it was really nice to be the Chief's son.

"And you're Renesmee Black?" The principal said, shaking her hand. "You're Gabriel's…"

"Aunt," Renesmee replied. Given how young she looked, I guess that was their best cover.

"Well ladies, as I explained to you on the phone, the two boys were fighting in gym class. Their teacher was injured, but has agreed not to press charges…though I wonder if she's thinking clearly as she was knocked in the face by a basketball."

My mother put her hand on my shoulder. Even though I couldn't feel any pain, I knew she was ticked by the tightening pressure on my skin. I winced anyway.

"I have no choice but to suspend each of the boys for three days. And I want to make it known that I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our school. If they do this again, they'll be expelled."

Both of our mothers nodded and we were dismissed. Gabe and Renesmee went out first. Ness turned around and gave my mom an apologetic look before they left the office. I froze as I saw Meena leaning against some lockers as we entered the hallway. She looked at her brother with desolate eyes before she turned to look at me. Never in my life would I ever forget the pained disappointment on her face as she glanced at me. Her mother went and cupped the side of Meena's cheek before Renesmee grabbed Gabe's arm and steered him outside. Meena held my gaze for a minute before leaving as well. I slowly trailed after them and watched with a heavy heart as all three Blacks piled into a silver colored BMW Hybrid X6. Meena didn't look my way again.

As I stood in the rarely seen sun, I wondered how much damage my actions of the day had done to my imprint…and if I would ever be able to fix it.

* * *

**End Note:**

I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try to write a new story that isn't related to my Imprint Saga. The story is called "Healing Hands." It's an all human story about Jacob and Renesmee. I hope you'll check it out if you haven't already.

_Summary: Jacob Black quietly stood by as the woman he loved, Bella, married another man. He moved on with his life and married someone else. Years later, Jake's wife leaves him when he's severely injured in an accident. The only one who can help him recover now is his god-daughter Renesmee Cullen…the daughter of Jacob's greatest heartache. Nessie is all grown up. She also has been secretly in love with her much older friend for years. _

You can find the link to "Healing Hands" on my profile. My goal is to start updating Stormy every week (no promises though), and then alternating between updating Leah's story and Healing Hands every other week. (LOL, I'm also still updating the M rated version of First Imprint: Sam's Story on Twilighted.) Please be patient with me. I promise not to abandon any story. ;)

Don't forget to let me know what you thought about this chapter! Thanks everyone!


	5. Teenage Wasteland

**Author's Notes**

**1) Follow-up**

I just want to take a quick moment to clarify the relationship between Gabe and Nate. They honestly can't help their dislike for each other. They don't want to hate one another, because it hurts Meena. But when they get near each other, it's like the human inside disappears and the wolf takes over. Their inner wolves are reacting so negatively towards each other which make them as hostile as they are.

**2) Blog**

Aside from my fan fics, I'm trying to work on an original story that I'd like to get published someday. I decided to write a blog which will show you each step of the process. For example, I'll be adding any information I can find out about getting published, when I send out letters to literary agents, whether they accept me or reject me, if I get published, etc. I'm hoping that the information will prove useful to other people in my situation (by that I mean, other potential authors). So if you'd like, you can follow my blog and either see me get published or publicly fail big time. LOL, either way it should be some party.

http://ksnovels(dot)blogspot(dot)com/

The title for this chapter is from a line in "The Who" song, _Baba O' Riley_

* * *

_Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.  
_

_Hamlet_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 5 – Teenage Wasteland**

Gracie's POV

_August 25, 2025_

"Oh my God, did you hear about your brother?" My friend Ari came running up to me as I grabbed my stuff out of my locker. It was the end of the first day of school and I was more than ready to get out of here.

"No, what?" I asked, grabbing my backpack and closing my locker door. Did some new wolf crisis pop up? Nate and Dev probably had to go scurrying off in the middle of class to save the day.

"He got suspended," Ari said importantly.

"Nate?" I snorted. The golden boy got in trouble?

"Apparently he got in a fight with Gabe Black," my other friend Jen said as she joined us.

We began walking outside. It was surprisingly sunny. I lifted my face up to the sun's warmth. It slightly lifted my normally trodden spirits.

"I bet Gabe is a sex god. He'd be a king in the sack, you can just tell," Ari said, as she pulled out a cigarette. She lit one and passed it to me. I took a deep, comforting pull on it.

"You know, I think Nate would be dynamite too!" Jen said.

"Okay…stop right there," I replied instantly. "I so do not want to hear your perv thoughts about my brother.

Jen shrugged slyly before saying, "Holy mother of God though. I agree with Ari. Gabe is so incredibly hot. He makes me purr like a kitten! He's completely fuckable."

I frowned but kept my eyes on the sidewalk. I agreed with both of them. Gabe was amazingly gorgeous. The instant I saw him in the halls today, he made me forget about everyone, including my boyfriend, Zack. Well…he made me forget about _almost_ everyone. But I wouldn't go _there_.

I wished I would have gotten a chance to speak more with Gabe today. All I'd really had a chance to say was a quick "hi." We didn't have one class together.

"Jen, you realize I'm part Hispanic, right? We fight dirty," Ari said in a light tone. Though I knew she was joking around, she definitely had a possessive look in her eye. I had a feeling Gabe was going to have to watch out for her.

"Fine," Jen sighed dramatically. "You can have Gabe, Ari, as long as I get Azra."

It was no secret among my group that Jen had a huge crush on Nate's pack brother, Azra Langley. Azra, like all wolves, was tall, hot, and handsome. Plus, he had a brooding, mysterious vibe going for him. Though he'd been in my dad and then Nate's pack for as long as I could remember, I knew very little about him. What I did know is that he was employed as a mechanic at Quil and Seth's garage. He also liked to ride motorcycles, and I saw in pictures that he'd played the cello at my parents' wedding.

"You know, Jen," I snickered. "I'm pretty sure that Azra's gay."

"He is not. Shut up!"

"Well, he's never shown any interest in the opposite sex, and my brother says that Az is really guarded." Actually, what Nate said was that Azra's thoughts were better protected than Fort Knox.

We walked to the cliffs where we smoked a joint. My father said if I came home one more time smelling like pot, he was going to send me away. He and my mother had grounded me so many times I'd lost count. As soon as the punishment was done, I'd go out and do it again.

The thing my dad didn't seem to realize was that being sent away was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be free of La Push and all of its craziness. And if he sent me to a school near Washington D.C. as he threatened, I was more than fine with that. My heart did a little leap as I thought about Ryan.

I knew that's where he was living. I also knew that he kept in contact with Nate as well as Azra, who was his best friend. I hadn't talked to him once in over two years though. I couldn't deny how much that hurt.

"Shit, I've gotta get home," Ari giggled before heading in the direction we had come from. I kept an eye on her to make sure she didn't walk too close to the cliff's edge. As soon as she was safe, Jen and I headed over to my house. Jen reached in her bag and grabbed a bottle of cheap perfume, dousing us both in the disgusting scent.

Before we got to the property, my cell phone went off. Looking down at the caller I.D., I sighed. I really didn't feel like dealing with my boyfriend right now.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Jen asked.

"No, it's just Zack," I shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll call him back tomorrow."

I had been dating Zack for over a year. We began having sex earlier in the summer. I wasn't in love with him, and I really didn't think he loved me either. But at least the sex was decent. Sometimes it was even good, other times, not so much. I hung around him though because I knew it drove my brother and father insane.

"Should I get my nose pierced?" Jen asked as she looked at the piercing glinting in my left nostril.

"Do you need any more piercings?" I questioned. Jen already had her eyebrow, bottom lip, and bellybutton pierced. It was also rumored that her nipples were pierced, though I'd never asked her about that.

"I consider piercing an art form," Jen joked.

"Then go for it," I responded. I was about to reach for the house's front door when it swung open. Azra was on his phone. He looked at me for a moment in surprise.

"I gotta go Ryan," Az said before hitting the off button. My stomach jerked and the high I was currently experiencing quickly dissipated.

"Hey Grace, how was school?" He asked. His nose suddenly wrinkled with disgust as he smelled the pot on my skin that Jen's horrendous perfume couldn't quite cover.

"It was fine."

"You know what Gracie?" Jen said next to me. "I forgot that I was supposed to go home after school. Would you be able to give me a ride?"

She asked this to Azra. Az looked at her glassy eyes then out to his motorcycle that was parked in the driveway.

"I came on my bike," he explained.

"Perfect…I love motorcycles." Jen blinked her eyes a few times in an embarrassing attempt to flirt. As usual, Azra remained unaffected.

"Go on Azra, she won't bite," I encouraged.

"I'm aware of that Grace," he said and I scowled. I didn't like that he called me Grace. That was reserved for immediate family and Ryan only.

"Please, I don't want to get in trouble with my parents," Jen pleaded, batting her eyes again. I rolled mine in response.

"Fine." Azra finally gave in, before turning to me. "Take it easy on your folks tonight, okay?"

"Yes, Dad," I mocked.

Jen grabbed Azra's hand and dragged him over to his bike. They got on and Jen wrapped her arms around his waist with overabundant enthusiasm.

"Hold on," Azra said as he started the engine.

"With pleasure," Jen said, winking at me before they took off.

I shook my head and entered the house. I paused when I heard angry voices coming from the living room. One was my father so I knew he was home from work. Hell, if I knew he was going to be around, I wouldn't have bothered with the perfume.

"Do you have any idea of how reckless your behavior was?" My dad asked angrily.

"I know," Nate replied stiffly.

"Not only could you have killed your teacher with your childish conduct--"

"Black was the one who hit her in the face with a ball," Nate interrupted.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved in a fight in the first place. Worse, you could have phased in front of all those students. If you'd had just one slip of control--"

"I didn't though, okay?" Nate responded.

"No, it's not goddamn okay, Nathaniel."

"Sam," my mother's spoke up. I could tell from her tone that she was upset. "Tell Nate what you've arranged."

My father's loud footwork indicated he was pacing.

"I spoke with Sue Clearwater. She's agreed to let you work at the supply store after school. You'll start tomorrow since you have plenty of time on your hands now that you've been suspended. And I don't care if your imprint's just moved back to the area or not. You obviously can't handle it. I'm not going to let you go comatose again whenever you can't see her. Nor am I going to let you spend all your time invading the Black's property. You stay away from it and Gabriel Black!"

"Fine," Nate muttered angrily.

"And when you're not at work, then I want you home," our father continued. "For the next three weeks, you go to school, go to work, come home until 9 PM, and then you patrol. That's it. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Nate snapped.

"All right." My mother's voice was strained. "Nate, we're so disappointed in you."

I took that as my cue to sneak back out. Damn, Nate was really getting the full "feel the Uley wrath" treatment. Not only was our dad in his beyond fury stage, but my mother was applying a heavy guilt trip. I didn't need to stick around to see that. I'd already been through it plenty of times myself. I headed down to the beach, enjoying the last of warm summer air. My cell phone began to ring again. I groaned as I saw it was Zack.

"Hey Zack," I said answering it.

"Hey baby, you coming over tonight?"

Having sex with Zack probably wasn't the best idea I'd ever had. That seemed to be all he ever wanted to do anymore. I was getting a little tired of it.

"It's a school night, Zack," I replied snippily.

"So..."

"So that means I'm not going to be your beck and call girl. If you have a problem with that, then maybe we should just end this."

"Jesus, what's up your ass today? You barely spoke to me all day and now your acting like a complete bitch."

"Maybe I don't want to be treated like an easy lay all the time," I retorted angrily.

"You know what…whatever. Call me when you're off the rag."

Before I could say anything else, Zack hung up on me. I took three very deep breaths. I didn't need his shit. I started to weigh the pros and cons of continuing to date him.

Biggest con…Zack could be such a dick.

Biggest pro…his very presence annoyed my family. That was enough to make me decide to keep him…for now.

"Gracie," a male voice called out. I turned to see Gabriel Black heading towards me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"As punishment for my behavior today, I've got to paint my grandfather's house, amongst other things. I'm just waiting for my dad to come back from the store with some paint."

"Yeah, I heard you and my brother got into it pretty bad and knocked out Ms. Ldut."

"Yes," Gabe shifted uncomfortably. "My mom called the hospital. Apparently, I broke her nose when she got hit in the face with that ball."

"God, what is it with you two?" I asked.

"I don't know. I don't want to fight him, Gracie. I just can't seem to stop myself from getting angry anytime he gets near me. If I could change it, I would. I don't like hurting my sister and she cares for your brother."

"See, that's what I don't get," I replied. "Meena and Nate only met once and he acted like his world was going to end all summer because of her."

Gabe shifted his focus to the ocean, "Sometimes people just connect and they're meant to be. That's how it is for your brother and my sister."

"Then you better find a way to get over your disgust with my brother fast," I responded.

Gabe sighed, shoving his hands in his jean pockets, looking discouraged. "I know. I really wish there was a way to fix this. My mother said that Rafe Elwah helped arrange our school schedules so we'd have as few classes together as possible. I don't know if we can even handle being around one another in gym class. But we've got to find a way."

He looked so sad, that I went over and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly before instantly releasing me, a frown on his face.

"What?" I questioned in confusion.

"You smell different. You used to have a very floral scent, like wild roses or something. Now there's something else. I don't like it."

"I stink?" I asked mortified.

"You just smell different…unnatural," Gabe said. He eyed me critically. "What have you been doing to yourself?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I felt my face heat.

"You look…tired. And you smell like an ashtray. It doesn't suit you."

"Well, who asked for your opinion," I snapped. I turned and went to walk away but Gabe grabbed my hand and held me still.

"Hurting yourself is no way to get back at him."

"Him?"

"I can read people, remember? You're hurting and…"

"And?" I asked when he paused.

"You miss him. I can see that clearly. You have an emptiness about you that you didn't have before, and no amount of drugs and alcohol can take that pain away. You've tried, but failed."

I suddenly felt my eyes fill with tears. Gabe pulled me in for another hug. I felt his lips brush my hair.

"Why don't you just call him?" he asked.

I instantly shook my head. "From what I've heard, he's living it up in D.C., dating some skanky girl. He doesn't need to be bothered by some stupid teenager."

"I doubt he would mind if you gave him a call," Gabe smirked. "And you aren't stupid."

I pulled back and looked into his dark eyes. He really was such a good guy.

"You're different too, you know," I said, reaching up to touch his cheek. "You seem so much older than when I saw you last."

"That's the vampire gene," Gabe joked. "I age a lot quicker than normal."

"That's not it," I replied softly. "There's something else about you…an awareness you didn't have before. I don't know…you seem kind of worldly, I guess."

I don't know what possessed me, but I reached up and ran my thumb over Gabe's bottom lip. It was soft and full. His lips parted slightly in response. He seemed to unconsciously move his head towards me. I moved my hand from his mouth and moved it up to his dark hair, running it through his silky strands.

I stood up on my toes and Gabe's mouth got inches closer to mine. He ended the remaining distance and let our lips meet. And that's when everything changed. It was like a flame suddenly igniting. We pressed together in hungry urgency. I felt his kiss all the way to my toes which made them curl. He pulled my waist to him. I felt the beginning of his arousal and even in a semi state, I knew he was a lot bigger than Zack. I began to tingle in my most feminine areas. I pushed my breasts against his chest as our tongues met and began to tangle together. He moved me even tighter against him. His hand slid up my waist, resting against the side of my breast. I moved back slightly, hoping he'd take the hint to touch me where my body was aching for his contact.

Before anything could happen though, I heard a male voice yell out, "Gabriel!"

We both jerked apart. Gabe swore briefly before running a trembling hand through his hair. I heard someone call his name again.

"What am I doing?" Gabe muttered.

"It's called kissing," I told him flirtatiously, even though I felt shaken myself.

"You don't understand…there are consequences for kissing you," Gabe muttered.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, instantly on the alert.

"Nothing…look I have to go," Gabe said, turning away from me.

"Tell me what you meant," I demanded, the joy of our kiss suddenly wiped away. For some reason I felt ashamed and oddly guilty. What was even more confusing was that my guilt had nothing to do with Zack. Gabe still wouldn't look at me.

"Gabe!"

"Fine. You're a Uley…I'm a Black. Our families are enemies. I shouldn't have kissed you," Gabe finally replied. I still felt like he was holding something back.

"I don't care what my family thinks."

"I know. That's part of the problem, isn't it?" Gabe inquired.

I felt my face flush. Sometimes I really wished that Gabe couldn't read me so well.

"Gabriel Jacob Black!" The voice rang out again. Gabe flinched.

"I have to go," Gabe said, looking at me. "We're friends, right?"

"Sure…we're friends," I replied, feeling slightly dazed. I was going to need to lay off the pot from now on. It made me react funny.

"Okay then. Will you do me a favor?"

"I'll try," I told him.

"Quit smoking."

How ironic. We really did think alike. I wondered why he'd request that though. Perhaps it was foolish, but I really hoped it was because he wanted to kiss me again in the future.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Great," Gabe responded, a beautiful smile lighting his face.

My stomach fluttered. For a guy who was just my friend, I desperately had to remember not to jump him. He was a phenomenal kisser. I wondered what else he was good at.

Dammit! If Ari ended up getting her hooks into him, she was going to be in for a treat. Just the idea of her feeling Gabe's touch made me furious.

"Uh oh…what's wrong now?" Gabe wondered.

"Nothing," I said instantly. "Do…um…do you think your parents would have a problem if I hung out with you for a little bit. Nate's getting yelled at pretty bad by my parents right now, and I don't really want to go home."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Gabe responded slowly. "They might see it as a goodwill gesture. You know…me getting along with a Uley."

"That sounds like an excellent plan," I smiled. Gabe reached hesitantly for my hand and we walked back to his grandfather's house.

Jacob, upon seeing our joined hands, raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. I talked as Gabe got everything set up. He began scraping off the old paint from Billy's house. I watched, completely mesmerized, when he took off his shirt as the heat from his labor became too much for him. His back glistened with sweat and his muscles bulged as he continued at a speed that was just a little too fast to be human. I didn't mind the show at all. He was breathtaking.

Finally, I said goodnight to him and made my way back home. I realized as I was walking that for the first time in two years, I didn't feel the horrible emptiness anymore. Being around Gabe took away my pain. Better yet, even though he claimed he just wanted to be friends with me, I was pretty sure I could get him to kiss me again. More than once this evening, I felt his eyes on me. Sometimes if I posed just right, he'd stare at my breasts for several moments. I felt confident that he was as aware of me as I was of him. I really hoped he'd want to pursue a different relationship with me other than friendship. His kisses were addicting and delicious. I wanted more.

Another thought occurred to me. The more I hung out with Gabe, the more it would probably piss off my family, especially my dad. And the angrier he got, the better my chances were of being sent out of this hellhole.

With that thought in mind, I smiled and entered my house.

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**End Note:**

Ari and Jen are very loosely based on two friends of mine. I told them I was taking their names, putting them in my story, and writing them as drug using sex addicts. And they let me! I've got to give them credit though. Their characters' conversation about Nate and Gabe in the beginning of the chapter came directly from a twitter conversation I had with the real people a couple of months ago. So thanks girls! You two crack me up!

**Please Review!**


	6. It's A Start

**Announcements**

**1) New Author To The Site**

If you love Jasper and/or canon stories, I'd highly recommend a story that was just posted to the site called, _Journey Through The Flames,_ by Overprotective(dot)fool. It's Jasper's POV of what happened in Twilight. I've never read a Jasper story before that so thoroughly gets this character. I followed this author's work on another site, and I can promise you, you won't be disappointed if you check it out. (And don't forget to leave her some love!)

http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5918621/1/Journey_Through_the_Flames

**2) Nomination**

I'm very excited to announce that I've been nominated for a Silent Tear Award for my story, "Forbidden Imprint (Embry's Story)." Thanks to everyone who nominated it! If you could take a moment to vote for Embry, he and I would truly appreciate it! He might even send you some big cyber hugs if Rebecca lets him. ;) You'll find the story under the "Forbidden Love" category. You can find the site link to vote on my profile or here:

http://silent-tear-awards(dot)webs(dot)com/vote(dot)htm

_**Part of this chapter is from my other story, Forbidden Imprint. It contains major spoilers to that story. If you haven't read it yet and you'd like to, you might want to skim over any parts where Embry is mentioned.**_

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_Fire that's closest kept burns most of__ all.  
_

_The Two Gentlemen of Verona_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 6 – It's A Start**

Nate's POV

_August 29, 2025 – October 11, 2025_

The three days I was suspended from school were the longest of my life. I kept busy, helping out in the _Clearwater's Supply Store._ I actually liked the job. It was pretty much just stocking, helping customers, and working behind the register, but it was a nice change from the responsibilities of the pack. Best yet, I was earning money to put gas in my car.

But I was also worried. I didn't know how Meena would react when she saw me again after the fight I'd had with her brother. True to my word, I didn't go near the Blacks' property in Forks. My father was right when he said I needed to stay away from there. Until Gabe and I learned how to control our tempers around each other, I couldn't risk further alienating Meena by antagonizing her twin.

When I was finally permitted back in school, I headed straight to my first class, ignoring all the comments and pointed looks I was receiving. Given the small size of my school, I was pretty positive the student population had very little to talk about during my suspension other than my fight with Gabe. The first person I saw when I walked into the classroom was my teacher, Rafe Elwah. He waved me over to his desk.

"Listen," he said in a low tone when I approached him. "I tried to rearrange your schedule so you didn't have gym with Gabriel Black. I couldn't manage it though."

"Okay," I nodded, uncertainty for the future filling me. "Thanks for the head's up."

I sat in my assigned seat and waited. The rest of the class began to file in, but there was no sign of Meena. I closed my eyes and let my senses stretch. I knew she was nearby. I began to pick up the strong scent of wildflowers. The door to the classroom opened and she came in.

Meena didn't look at me as she sat down. I felt my heart sink. I wondered if I already lost her before I had a chance to "woo" her, as my dad liked to say. She kept her eyes firmly off me as she took notes during Rafe's lecture. When the bell rang indicating class was over, Meena didn't get up and run out as I half expected her to. Instead she turned to me, still avoiding my eyes.

"Nate…if I have to choose between you and my brother, I'm going to choose Gabe every time."

"I understand," I replied immediately, though I felt like I'd been sucker punched.

She looked at me then. "I like you Nate, I do. But Gabe isn't just my brother, he's my best friend. He comes first with me."

"Okay."

"I know that you imprinted on me, but…I don't want to date you." My heart broke just a little at that.

"Does this mean we can't even hang out?" I asked, feeling more depressed with each passing second.

Meena bit her lip. "I guess we can hang out. I mean, we have our paper in this class to work on."

"Right," I nodded, silently sending a huge thanks to Rafe.

"What I'm saying is that I really want us to try to be friends. Can you live with that?"

"Just friends?" I asked and Meena nodded. "Meena, I'm whatever you need me to be. If friendship is all you want and it makes you happy then I'm happy."

Meena's face broke out into a smile. "Good. Well…I'll see you in our next class."

"Yeah, see you," I confirmed.

Meena got up and left the room. As I slowly started walking out, I heard Rafe snicker.

"What?" I questioned, feeling somewhat disgruntled.

"My imprint tried pulling the "just friends" with me once. I give you three months tops, before she finally gives in," Rafe said. I smiled in hesitant relief and left the room.

That day was the start of Meena's and my tenuous friendship. We spent the next few weeks only socializing in class with the exception of Wednesdays. Wednesdays we stayed after school to work on our term paper. I began to live for those days when it was just Meena and me. The more I learned about her, the more I fell in love with her. And I _was_ falling, fast and hard. Meena was smart, funny, and beautiful. What I found even more amazing was that she was destined to be with _me_.

We began to spend less time working on our paper and more time getting to know each other. She'd tell me stories about her family and her interests. I learned that she was addicted to classical books, movies about comic book heroes (huge bonus), and loved playing the piano, which she'd learned from her grandfather. I'd tell her about the history of our people and my hobbies. I shared with her my secret dream of someday going to college and becoming a computer programmer. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to achieve that because of my commitments to the pack. When I told Meena this, she gave me her special smile and told me I should go for it anyway.

Then after a couple of hours of talking and working half-heartedly on our paper, I would get to drive her home. I actually got to go on the Blacks' property during those days. Gabe was never around and I never looked for him. But I felt that by getting to be there, even if it was just in my car in their driveway, it was a small step forward in my efforts to win over my imprint.

Gabe and I avoided each other as much as possible. When the tension would begin to affect either one of us in gym class, one or both of us would bolt out the gymnasium as fast as we could. We'd usually receive a detention when that occurred, but it was better than phasing or fighting.

When I wasn't with Meena or busy thinking about her, I was dealing with pack issues. Our pack grew by one member…well, sort of. Embry Call moved back to the area shortly around the time school started. He was technically retired from the pack, though he did phase on occasion. Embry had finished medical school and was several years into his residency when he transferred to the hospital in Port Angeles. Ironically, his imprint Rebecca Black-Cleary and her son also came back to the area right after Embry did. Apparently, she was going through a divorce.

Shortly after Rebecca moved back, her son Luke was severely injured when he got hit by a car. In all the mayhem, it was revealed that Rebecca and Embry had an affair seven years before, and he was actually the father of Rebecca's child.

Embry had been a wreck. He almost killed Rebecca on the day he learned the truth. He phased on her and tried to attack her. If she hadn't begged Embry to stop before he could physically harm her, he might have succeeded in hurting her or worse.

I tried helping him that night. I stayed with him for hours because he'd been too upset to phase back. But I ended up being pretty useless. Meena had been waiting in the nearby hospital for news on her cousin Luke. I ended up spending the rest of the night lying in the woods close by, shamelessly eavesdropping on her conversations just so I could hear the sound of her voice.

Once Rebecca's son was released from the hospital, Embry began to phase every night so he could sit outside Billy Black's home where Rebecca and Luke were living. I usually left him alone. I only needed his help once.

While out patrolling one night, we picked up the scent of a bloodsucker. It was faint, but we were able to trace it all the way back to Port Angeles. We came across a nomadic leech just after he fed on a human. He led us on a chase. Even with the pack's varied experience, we had trouble getting the guy. I finally had to ask Embry for help. Embry, angry at having his stalker time interrupted, quickly assisted us. We killed the vampire within minutes of his coming to our aid. Nothing was more lethal than a pissed off wolf.

With the presence of a blood drinker so close to the rez, Mac Pachena's son Jason, who I already suspected would be the next wolf, shot up 6 inches within two weeks. I knew it was only a matter of time now before he phased. But through all the craziness that happened, one thing remained constant for me. And that was Meena.

I knew I had assured her we could be just friends. I was okay with that at first too. But the more I was around her, the more I knew I couldn't give her the emotional distance she'd asked for. I couldn't just be her friend. I was losing the battle to remain indifferent.

Worse was the physical need I felt for her. I had to constantly fight the urge to pull her close to me and never let go. It was like a fire constantly burning inside me. I began to run after work. I'd go for miles, trying to get rid of my excess energy. When that didn't work, I began to go for long swims in the ocean no matter how cold the water was or how tumultuous the waves were. I welcomed the strong current. But nothing helped.

I sometimes resented it. I was a wolf near my mate, and I couldn't even touch her. I craved even the slightest physical contact. I wanted to just brush my fingers against the small of her back, maybe hold her hand. I found myself staring at her lips all the time, wondering what they tasted like. I knew she felt it too. I could see it sometimes in her eyes. She tried her best to remain cool and distant, but it was as useless as a moth avoiding the flame. What I needed was a way to get some quality time with her outside of school. Somewhere where her fucking brother's presence didn't haunt us.

It came in the form of my 18th birthday. My parents decided to throw me a party that would be just my family, pack brothers, and their families. Though my birthday was on a Friday, the party was going to be on a Saturday. We were in first hour waiting for Rafe to start his lecture, when I finally plucked up the courage and talked to Meena about it.

"My birthday is Friday," I blurted out stupidly.

"Happy birthday," Meena said smiling.

"Well…I'm having a party on Saturday, and I…um…I just wanted to let you know that you're invited…you know, in uh…in case you wanted to come."

_Real smooth, dipshit. _

"Oh…" Meena said and I instantly had a stinking feeling. "My family was planning a hunting trip this weekend."

"You can't go another time?" I asked hopefully.

"I can ask, but I don't think so," Meena replied, looking at me sadly.

"Oh…okay then," I remarked, feeling like I just got kicked in the stomach.

"I'm sure you'll have a good time though."

"Yeah…sure," I replied with zero enthusiasm.

After that, the rest of the week dragged by. I wasn't looking forward to my party at all. But at least I'd get to see Meena on my actual birthday. Maybe she'd do something unexpected like hug me or something. God, I was getting so pathetic.

I made sure I had on my best clothes that Friday and gargled with extra mouthwash. When I walked into first hour, Meena wasn't there yet. I got to our table and started trying out different poses that would show off my muscles. Yep, I was pretty much past pathetic now and just a plain moron.

When the morning bell rang, Meena still wasn't in class. I began to get worried. Was something wrong with her? I'd know, wouldn't I?

Rafe started class by handing back quizzes we took a few days before. When he got close enough to me, he whispered, "She's not here today. Her parents pulled her out so they could leave a day early for a hunting trip."

My shoulders drooped dejectedly. Nothing else registered the rest of the day. I couldn't believe I was going to be denied seeing my imprint on my own freaking birthday. I went to work after school though Sue told me I didn't need to. Like it really mattered anyway. It was just another day.

The next day I got dressed with little care. Upon seeing what I was wearing, my mom ordered me back upstairs and told me to dress in something nice. Glancing down at what I had on, I realized I was wearing ratty sweat shorts and a holey shirt. I came down ten minutes later in some khaki shorts and a dark blue t-shirt. I walked out to the backyard to find my father muttering as he tried to get the grill going. My father couldn't cook to save his life. I only hoped he didn't set the house on fire in his vain attempt to pretend he was a chef.

Across the yard, Gracie was sitting on her boyfriend's lap. They were talking about some class they had together. Zack's hand kept moving up and down my sister's thigh as they talked. I'd love for him to make a move. Chief or no chief, my father would kick his punk ass in a second if Zack tried anything in front of him.

I sat down in a lawn chair underneath one of the trees and waited for the guests to arrive. I was already looking forward to this party being over. My Grandma Uley arrived first. She came over and gave me a big hug and kiss, before getting weepy and muttering shit like, "I remember when you were in diapers."

Next Paul, Rachel, and their sons, Devlin and Sean came. Sean was nine. When he was born, he'd been a preemie. Rachel almost died giving birth to him. But he showed no signs of having been born early. In fact, given that his mother was a Black and that all his male relatives were wolves, there was an extremely strong chance that he'd be a wolf someday. Poor kid. Devlin made his way over to me and sat down. We started talking about our patrol schedule.

Paul took over the grill from my dad. Quil and Claire showed up with their daughter Kayley. Quil went and joined the guys at the grill while Claire got caught up with Rachel and my grandma. Wherever Kayley was, her imprinter Brady was never far behind. And sure enough, Brady showed up moments later and happily took the toddler from Claire, sitting down in a chair where he began reading her a book he'd brought with him.

Next came some of my pack, Azra and Seth, along with retired wolf Mac, his wife Olivia, and their four kids. I shook my head as I stared at Mac's son, Jason. Mac was huge, probably close to 6'7, which helped with his job as a cop. Jason at 12-years-old was already teetering at 6'0. I was expecting a call from Mac any day letting me know his son phased. Rafe and his wife Manda showed up with their three kids. All the little ones began to run around the yard. I looked up at the sky. Going by the way the sun was angled it wasn't even 4 pm yet. This was going to be a long night.

Embry arrived soon after. I watched as he glanced around the backyard before a depressed look appeared on his face. I wondered if Rebecca was going to be a no show like my imprint.

Collin and his imprint Lindsey arrived next. Since retiring from the pack, Collin had let his hair grow long. He was currently wearing it back in a ponytail. He and Lindsey made their way over to the grill with Claire.

"Who's the man? This guy right here!" Collin called out, pointing to himself.

I could see Lindsey roll her eyes, but she leaned into her husband as she announced, "I'm pregnant!"

"No way!" Claire suddenly said. "I'm pregnant too!"

The girls, who were best friends since kindergarten, looked at each other for a few seconds before they started screaming. They ran to each other and started hugging and bouncing around. Everyone started offering their congratulations…everyone except for Azra. He stared at Claire for a moment, before glaring at Quil. He turned away from the happy couple and took a deep swig of his beer. I wondered what that look was about. He looked at Quil almost as though he were _betrayed._

Because I was in a sinister mood, I let my imagination flow. Maybe Gracie was right. Maybe Azra was gay and he had a thing for Quil. It would certainly explain why Azra's thoughts were always so guarded.

I was soon distracted by the arrival of Jared, Kim, and their daughter Hayley. I noticed Devlin sit up straight as he took in the family of his imprint. I knew he was missing Hanna like crazy. Probably almost as much as I was missing Meena. I hoped for Dev's sake that Hanna came back for the summer after she graduated from that performing arts school in Michigan. Once she was off to Julliard next year, who knew when she'd be back.

Hayley immediately nodded her head towards Seth. Seth acknowledged it and I watched them casually disappear towards the backyard. Jared looked like he was going to go after them, but Kim put a restraining hand on his arm and shook her head. From where I was sitting, I could just make out Seth and Hayley in the woods.

"Damn," I whistled.

"Go Seth," Devlin snickered next to me as we watched the couple kiss heatedly.

I looked away, "What's Seth thinking? She's only 17."

"Well, Seth's not getting any older. He's been permanently trapped at 25 for years."

"What if he imprints?"

Devlin shrugged. "Leah never did and she's been happily married since forever. It doesn't happen for everyone."

"I hope it doesn't happen then for Seth," I sighed, before looking at Jared whose face was red with anger.

The last to arrive was Embry's imprint Rebecca and their son Luke. Going by Luke's body language he wanted nothing to do with his father. Apparently he was close to Rebecca's soon-to-be ex, and he was having issues dealing with Embry's presence in Rebecca's life. As far as I knew, Luke didn't know that Embry was his father. I think Embry was waiting to get into his son's good graces before they broke the news.

The food was finally declared ready. I went over to Claire and congratulated my cousin on her pregnancy, before making my way over to Brady and Kayley. Kayley was a miniature of Claire, but she had Quil's eyes.

"Natey!" She screamed as she saw me. I picked her up and cuddled her for a minute.

"You excited about becoming a big sis?" I asked.

She clapped excitedly before looking at her imprint. "Bwady."

I gave her a quick kiss on the head before placing her back into Brady's eager arms. I got some food and made my way back over to my chair. Devlin and I stuffed our faces with hamburgers and hotdogs. I noticed Seth and Hayley came back to join the rest of the party. Hayley's hair looked slightly disheveled. It was shortly after everyone got done eating that Jared suggested a game of football with a reddish haze in his eyes.

We broke into two teams. Paul, Jared, Quil, Collin, Brady and Embry were on my dad's team. Gracie insisted on her boyfriend Zack playing. My father allowed it after Zack foolishly insisted he could take anyone on who was playing. Seriously, what a dumb fuck. My dad also let Luke play on his team much to Embry's delight. Though Luke was just a kid, Embry was looking for anyway to connect with his son.

Seth was on my team, along with Azra, Rafe, Rafe's son Tauri, Devlin and Sean, Mac, and Mac's son Jason. Though Tauri and Sean were kids, Jason was practically a wolf. And Dev, Seth, Azra, and I were all still actively phasing and therefore very powerful.

The game didn't get off to a good start. I _maybe_ sorta hit Zack with a little too much force and he went flying across the yard. He was left pale and shaking. Gracie came flying at me.

"You did that on purpose, you son of a bit--"

"Gracie Emeline!" Our father stated menacingly. "If you finish that sentence, you won't leave the house until the end of the year. You got me?"

Gracie looked like she was debating what to do, before she finally grabbed Zack's hand and they left the party. My father watched Zack limp off with a strange smirk on his face. As soon as he noticed me watching him, he came over and yelled at me for picking on someone weaker. He then wrapped his arm around me and gave me a brief hug before rejoining his team.

From there, the game turned ugly. Brady got distracted when Kayley cried out. Devlin tackled him so hard, I think something snapped. Good thing Brady was still phasing. He'd be healed within minutes. But it gave him a good excuse to quit playing. He sat on the sidelines with Kayley on his lap.

Jared stalked every move Seth made, shoving him and trying to tackle him even when Seth was no where near the ball. When Jared's daughter Hayley wasn't yelling at her dad, she was cheering Seth on. That, unfortunately, only pissed Jared off even more.

Quil was running in for a touchdown when Azra went after him. He tackled him to the ground and somehow managed to get an elbow in Quil's mouth. Quil's lip split open and blood began to pour.

"What the hell, Az?" Quil yelled, getting up to his feet.

"Sorry," Azra muttered. He walked away without another glance as Claire ran over to hand Quil a napkin.

"Is this football or a death match?" Devlin whispered to me.

I just shook my head. The game was tied up when Embry's son was handed the ball. The kid was damned fast. That had to be from the Black blood on his mom's side. Then again, none of us knew who Embry's dad was. He could be my uncle for all I knew. My Grandpa Uley hadn't been known for his faithfulness.

Only a few players on my team tried to stop Luke half-heartedly, but Embry blocked anyone who got near his son. Luke made it in for a touchdown. He did a little dance before he ran over to Embry to slap his hand in victory. Embry looked like he had just won the lottery.

"It's time for cake and ice cream," my mom called out.

I went over and was in the middle of congratulating Luke when I felt it. A sharp tug on the base of my spine. I stiffened and with disbelieving eyes turned my head towards the back of the house. Moments later, Renesmee Black and _Meena_ walked through the backdoor.

"Ness, you came," my mom said, going over to hug her. "Jake with you?"

"No, he took Gabe hunting," Ness replied before adding, "I'm sorry we're so late."

I walked over to them, my eyes not leaving Meena's heart-shaped face.

"You're here," I whispered, almost afraid to believe she was real. Meena smiled softly in return. Our mothers disappeared, leaving us some privacy.

"Here," Meena said, handing me a wrapped present in the shape of a CD.

I opened it with slightly trembling hands. The CD was some strange band that I had never heard of.

"Do you have that one?" Meena asked hesitantly. "My Grandpa Edward recommended it."

"No, but I'm sure I'll love it," I responded. I didn't give a shit if it was a box of live scorpions and snakes. I'd treasure it for the rest of my life because my imprint gave it to me.

"You gonna cut the cake, or moon over your girl," Collin suddenly shouted.

My face was as hot as the sun. I saw my dad walk up to Collin and smack him on the back of the head. Meena's face was the same mortifying color I'm sure mine was. I'd have to remember to kill Collin later. I made my way over to my cake when Gracie appeared. She was without her loser boyfriend but had a hickey the size of a golf ball on her neck.

"Nate, you ass…" Gracie started to say when she noticed Meena. She quickly looked around before saying, "Hey Meena, did Gabe come with you?"

I inspected Gracie with suspicious eyes. I didn't know what was going on with her and Gabriel Black. I knew that she quit smoking since he moved to town. I also could smell him on her clothes sometimes, which meant they were hanging out together after school. I was pretty sure Gabe knew that Gracie had been imprinted on. Which meant he also knew you didn't mess with another wolf's imprint for any reason or you risked facing the consequences.

"No, he couldn't make it," Meena answered Gracie's question. "He told me to tell you hello though."

"Hmm," Gracie replied, looking disappointed as she sat down next to our mother.

I glanced at Meena who was staring at my sister with narrowed eyes. She looked up at me and everything else faded away. The crowd began to sing, but I didn't even notice. Meena shyly looked away a few times, but her eyes kept drifting back to mine. It suddenly got very quiet.

"Nate, it helps if you blow out the candles," Rafe said.

"Oh," I jolted out of my fixation.

"Make a wish," my mom instructed.

I looked at Meena. I knew exactly what I wanted.

_Please…let her fall in love with me. _

I bent down and blew out the candles. The cake was soon passed out to everyone. Meena and I went and found a quiet spot to sit by ourselves. I noticed that neither she nor Renesmee took a piece of a cake.

"You don't like cake?" I asked.

"I'm kind of full," Meena replied quietly, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Meena," I said, putting my plate down and covering her hand with mine. When she didn't pull away, I became even more forward and ran my thumb across the back of it. "You don't have to be ashamed of your eating habits."

"You don't think I'm a freak?" She whispered.

"Would you think I'm a freak if I told you I ate nine hamburgers and five hotdogs this afternoon?"

Meena wrinkled her nose and laughed. "Sort of."

I chuckled in return. "The point I'm trying to make is that whether you hunt your food or buy it in a store, it makes no difference to me."

"Okay," Meena smiled at me. I felt it through my entire body.

She turned her hand in mine so that our palms were touching. My heart began to beat humiliatingly loud as our fingers began to entwine.

"I'm sorry I missed your actual birthday yesterday," Meena told me. "I asked my mother after school the other day if I come to your party. We decided to leave early for our trip so I could make it back in time."

"I'm just grateful you came," I told her tenderly.

"Meena, honey," Ness came over, looking regretful. "It's getting late. We need to head for home."

I looked around and noticed for the first time that it was dark and that most of the people had left. I never felt more grateful for my friends and family then I did in that moment. Not one of them had interrupted us to say goodbye.

"I'll be right there," Meena told her mother. Renesmee nodded and went over to say goodbye to my mom and dad.

Meena and I got up from where we were sitting on the ground. With a quiet sigh, she pulled her hand from mine. I felt the loss instantaneously. Looking up at me, she gave me a little half smile.

"Happy birthday, Nathaniel," she whispered. Before I had any idea of her intention, she leapt up and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. Giggling, she took off running towards her mom.

Like an idiot who'd suddenly been given a lobotomy, I reached up and covered where her lips had touched me with my hand. I knew I was standing in the middle of the yard with the dumbest smile on my face, but I didn't care.

Maybe my birthday wish was already starting to come true.

* * *

**End Note**

**Lots of characters were mentioned in this chapter. If you got confused, I have everyone listed in my forum. I hope you check out **_**Journey Through The Flames**_** and get a chance to vote for the Silent Tear Awards (Embry's hugs are on the line). ;)**

**Also, PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks everyone!!!**


	7. A Chance Meeting

A/N - All right everyone, I'm going to spend the next few chapters concentrating on Meena and Nate's relationship, before I get back to Gracie and Gabe. I decided to finally write Meena's POV and as I mentioned on Twitter, it turned out she had quite a bit to say. The chapter ended up being over 10,000 words. As I hate reading long ass chapters myself, I decided to split this one up. So here you go…the first half of Meena's POV.

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_True, I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy._

_Romeo & Juliet_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 7 – A Chance Meeting**

_November 9, 2025_

Meena's POV

I woke up from a restless sleep and stared at the ceiling, feeling my usual depression seep in. I had another dream about _him_, filled with unrequited longing and need.

I didn't know how much more I could take of this. I thought being here, living closer to Nate, would make the emptiness go away. It didn't. In fact, I was more miserable than ever. I shouldn't have kissed his cheek on his birthday. That was a mistake. But I couldn't resist it anymore. I couldn't resist him. I wanted that contact with him. To be honest, I wanted more.

But I couldn't have it. Not without ruining my relationship with my brother. In the month since that day, I tried so hard to remain distant with Nate. And it was killing me.

From the moment I met him, I found Nate Uley intriguing. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He had a smile that could warm me up inside. He was sweet, caring, and strong…physically and emotionally. And I figured all that out about him from a chance meeting at Quil Ateara's wedding.

I knew about imprinting of course. My mother and father had always been very open about what to possibly expect in our world. We weren't normal…not even close. And strange, unusual things could happen to us at any given moment.

I always knew about the bond between my parents. Nothing and no one could ever come between them. I wanted what they had. I wanted to experience that level of love and devotion. I didn't expect to find it on a trip to La Push.

I also didn't expect Nate and Gabe to take an instant loathing to each other. It had been so surreal. One minute I was dancing with the man of my dreams. I had felt the instant connection to him. The next, my brother and my soul mate were trying to rip each other's heads off. It broke my heart.

So I did what was safe. I chose my brother. When Nate called me some time after he imprinted, I told him I didn't want anything to do with him. Gabriel and my family were all I'd ever known in my life. What hurt them hurt me. Nate had hurt Gabe, and I couldn't tolerate that, so I told him not to call me again.

And that was when the pain truly started. I did fine for the first few months after meeting Nate. But as months became years, my life turned bleak. Sometimes it was so hard to get out of bed. Other times, I forced myself to get up only to find myself wandering aimlessly through the woods that surrounded our Vermont home. I felt so lost.

When my parents finally decided that we would move to Forks, I had been filled with a joy I was careful to hide. I knew the very thought of Nate Uley upset Gabe. I also knew he tried his best to hide his reaction from me. But Gabe and I had always been able to read each other so well. I knew what upset him, just as he knew when I was hurt or angry. Our twin telepathy made us closer than the average siblings. And I knew, no matter how hard he tried, the very thought of Nate made Gabe hostile.

To his credit, Gabe was trying his best. When we finally met Nate again that first day of school, I knew Gabe and Nate wanted to attack each other. But they didn't. They made it almost the entire day without incident. It lasted until they had gym class together and they got into that horrible fight.

It was so unlike Gabe to be careless. No one could see what a wonderful person he was, because he was constantly on guard whenever we set foot in La Push. I even understood his reservation. Nate had the unfair advantage of having a pack that would kill for him. If someone messed with Nate, they messed with Seth, Brady, Azra, and even our cousin Devlin. Gabe and I were aware of this. And then there was the situation at school.

That was one of the biggest disappointments so far about moving to Washington. I had been looking forward to starting school and getting to actually possibly have friends. But I felt just as isolated here as I did in Vermont. Worst, actually. At least in Vermont I had my mother's relatives. Here, I didn't have anyone.

We were outsiders. The kids at school knew there was something different about Gabe and me. Like most humans, they avoided the inherent danger we represented. They didn't know why they should fear us, only that they did. It was part of the vampire curse.

Gabe's fight with Nate hadn't helped matters. The Uleys were royalty on the rez; the Blacks were pretty much all but forgotten. The girls wouldn't talk to me. I heard their whispers. They thought I was a snob, a bitch…that I'd steal their boyfriends. They didn't understand that my looks were part of my vampiric genes meant to lure people in. The boys at school made crude comments about me, or they'd talk about my "crazy" brother who almost took out the chief's son and teacher in gym class. Sometimes I just wanted to move back with the Cullens and forget this whole thing.

The way our schoolmates shunned us was another reason I felt so protective of my brother. We had no one but each other. If I showed an interest in Nate, then Gabe would be truly alone, because I knew he'd continue to avoid Nate and therefore me. I couldn't abandon my brother.

But did Gabe even want me on his side? He'd been acting so strangely since he slept with Tanya Denali. I still couldn't believe he did that. I knew my brother. He thought he was in love with her, though he pretended it was something casual. What worried me was that I didn't trust Tanya's reaction to my brother's affections. It was no secret that she had fancied my Grandfather Edward for years. Edward had called Tanya out on her behavior shortly after Gabe and Tanya had returned from their tryst. I had never seen my grandfather so furious. He said that she used Gabriel. The Denali coven left hours later. Gabe had been furious, which was probably the main reason he'd been willing to try to get along with Nate. He wanted to stay away from our Cullen relatives. It was a sad situation. He and Grandfather had been so close for so long.

But Gabe seemed to be getting more and more reckless since he last saw Tanya. I was concerned over his association with Gracie Uley. We knew that Gracie had been imprinted on. The one thing our father drummed into us was that you didn't mess with another wolf's imprint. It could mean banishment or worse.

Which brought me back to Nate. He didn't like his sister hanging out with Gabe for the same reasons I didn't. He was worried about the consequences of their relationship, whatever it was. I knew it by the way his eyes would focus on his sister in concern or glare at my brother in warning. As Alpha, he'd feel especially protective over Gracie, her imprint situation, and whatever else happened on Quileute land.

His concern over things was something I admired about him. It wasn't just that though. Since moving back, I found myself becoming more and more attracted to him. When we'd speak, he'd actually _talk_ to me. The few times I had spoken to any of the other guys at school, they would stare at my face blankly. Nate seemed to care about what I was thinking and feeling. He truly listened to what I had to say.

It was understandable to see why I found it so hard to resist him. And that was what terrified me. For as long as I could remember, my family had been my whole world. But sometime after our moving to the area, that delicate string that tied me to them began to fray and branch out in a new direction. One that led me straight to Nate.

He occupied way too many of my thoughts lately. I felt like I always had to be on guard with him anymore. I was worried that I'd give away some of my conflicted feelings if I wasn't. I knew if I had to choose between my twin and him, I'd choose Gabe.

But even as I thought this, something inside me wanted to deny it. A little inner voice kept screaming at me that I was being foolish, that all the pain and confusion would go away if I'd just let Nate in…if I'd choose him for once over family. I didn't want this conflict anymore. It was getting worse with each passing day, even more so since Nate's birthday party.

We went back to being casual friends after I had given him that chaste kiss on the cheek. He seemed to respect my need for distance. But sometimes I could feel him watching me with such passion, it'd send shivers throughout my body. And I shamelessly began to experiment with my own feminine power over him.

I had never had a chance to flirt or even interact with a member of the opposite sex before. I practiced some moves on him that I'd learned from my Aunt Rosalie when she wanted Uncle Emmett's attention…things like flicking my hair a certain way, or sticking out my chest. I always got a reaction out of Nate when I did either. And he seemed to know what I was doing and was even a willing, supportive participant in my pathetic attempts at seduction.

After the birthday party, our after school meetings on Wednesdays to work on our term paper became even more prolonged, sometimes lasting for hours. Nate was always respectful and charming. He made me feel desirable and beloved. I could see how easy it would be to fall in love with him. I wasn't even sure I wanted to fight it anymore. But there were so many things to consider.

One was Gabe. I felt like I was abandoning him by showing favoritism to Nate. My first loyalty _had_ to be to my brother.

Two, Nate didn't like the Cullens. I could pick up on that fact sometimes when we got on the subject of my extended family. My grandparents, aunts, and uncles meant everything to me. If he couldn't accept them, how could we spend an eternity together?

And three, he was a shape-shifter and I was a venomous hybrid. I didn't know how it would work between us. I only knew that I was tired of resisting him.

Being with my family used to be enough for me, I was content…happy even. I wasn't happy anymore. I was empty. The only times I ever felt fulfilled was when I was with Nate.

Sighing, I rolled over on my bed so that I could look out the large window in my bedroom. The room used to belong to my Grandfather Edward when the Cullens lived in Forks. I was staring out at the forest when I heard movement in the hall and someone knocked on my door.

"Meena, can I come in?" My mother asked.

"Sure," I replied, sitting up.

My mom came in, looking amazing as always even in just a bathrobe. My mother was one of the most beautiful women in the world. I sometimes thought she was even prettier than Aunt Rosalie. But the best thing about my mom was her heart. She loved her family and was protective of us. She was also always available to talk to. We could sometimes talk for hours about the silliest stuff. She sat down on the edge of my bed now and looked at me with sad eyes.

"You want to talk?" She asked.

I shrugged. "About what?"

"I don't know," my mother said. "Let's start with why you're not sleeping at night. I hear you tossing and turning. Or maybe we should discuss why you're always looking so miserable."

"It's nothing," I muttered.

My mom shook her head. "I thought going to Nate Uley's party last month would help you. I thought maybe things were…"

"Were what?" I asked curiously when she paused.

"I thought that maybe you two were getting closer. I was sort of hoping you would've at least gone out on a date by now. Instead you're moping in your room every night. It's not healthy, Meena."

"I can't date him," I whispered.

"Why?" My mother wondered in a confused voice. "You're seventeen. Contrary to what your father says, you don't have to wait until you're a hundred to date…"

"I can't date Nate," I said more firmly. "It wouldn't be right."

Renesmee sighed. "That's what I thought the problem was. Why do you think it wouldn't be right? He's your soul mate."

I looked at her for a moment, before placing my hands over my eyes. I couldn't stop the tears as they began to flow. My mother scooted over on the bed so that she could wrap her arms around me.

"Mom, I'm just so confused," I finally admitted, my head moving to rest on her shoulder.

"Honey, I know you want to do what you think is right by Gabe, but he's a big boy."

"What are you saying?" I asked. My mom reached up and tucked some loose hair behind my ear.

"Sometimes you need to follow your heart," she explained. "Meena, I love you. And it hurts me so much to see how sad you've been since Nate imprinted on you."

"I haven't--"

"Yes, you have. I can even understand it. I left your father for a short time before we got married. I found out that he'd been in love with Grandma before I was born, and that he'd thought about killing me before he imprinted. I was gone for months and it was the most depressing time of my life. You were away from Nate for two years. Now you have a chance to be with him. Don't throw that away."

"I'm scared," I finally admitted.

"I know. I wish you could have had a normal childhood. Not that mine was exactly normal, but at least your father was always around me growing up. I never felt like I missed out on anything. But your imprinter is from the outside world. You've never known anyone but your family and now you have to readjust to his world. But can I tell you something?"

"What?"

"If you give Nate a chance, you won't regret it. All the emptiness you feel will go away."

"What should I do?" I finally asked, my stomach filled with indecision.

"You have that term paper, right?"

"Yes."

"Maybe if it's all right with Sam and Emily, you and Nate can go up to Vancouver and spend sometime with Uncle Jasper."

"Nate doesn't really like the Cullens."

"Well, that sounds like a perfect way to make him see that our family isn't so bad."

I shook my head, sniffing back more tears. "Mother, what if Gabe doesn't forgive me?"

"Like I said, Gabe's a big boy. Someday he's going to fall in love and follow his own heart. You can't live in each other's pockets for the rest of your existence. You both have lives that you need to live. Besides, Gabe loves you no matter what. He's not going to let something like this come between you."

She bent and kissed my forehead before adding, "Will you at least think about what I've said?"

I nodded and she got up and left. I climbed out of bed and headed for my closet, picking out an old sweatshirt and jeans. My throat was beginning to burn horribly which meant I was going to need to feed soon. It probably didn't help that my youngest cousin, Luke, had spent the night. His parents, Embry and my Aunt Rebecca, had gone out on a date last night. While I was used to the beating sounds of my immediate family's hearts, the pounding of Luke's wet heart made the burning in my throat worse. Luckily, there was just enough of a wolf smell to Luke that made him unappetizing. Regular people were a temptation that I fought against. People that were hybrids or who had shape-shifter blood held little appeal to me.

I went into the bathroom, grabbed a hairbrush, and pulled my hair into a ponytail. Going back into my bedroom, I grabbed some sneakers and threw them on. I laughed quietly as I thought about what my Aunt Alice's reaction would be to this outfit. Finally ready, I headed downstairs. I saw Gabe and Luke playing a video game.

"Good morning Meena," Luke called out.

One of the few best things about moving to La Push was that I got to be near my dad's side of the family, as well as my Great-Grandfather Charlie and his wife Sue. I especially loved hanging out with all my cousins. Getting to know Rachel and Paul's kids, Devlin and Sean, was wonderful though Dev kept a distance because of his loyalty to Nate.

Having Luke move to the area was an added bonus. At just six, he was sweet, shy, funny, and a touch sarcastic. And he was so easy to love. I wouldn't have minded a female cousin though. There were girl things I could discuss with them. Things about boys…one boy in particular. Things I couldn't discuss with my mother or aunts.

"Good morning, Luke," I replied. "Gabe, I'm going out to get something to eat. Do you want to come?"

"No, that's okay," he answered, looking at me with distressed eyes. I'm sure he heard everything our mother and I discussed. We never did talk about Nate. It was the first time we actually avoided a subject in our entire lives.

I headed out the door and ran into my father.

"Morning, baby," he said. "Going out?"

"I thought I'd go out for a walk…maybe do some hunting," I remarked.

"Ah well, get a mountain lion for your grandpa," my father joked.

I laughed and hugged him. "Okay Dad."

Heading into the woods, I leapt over the river that was on our property. I began to run. One of the gifts I'd inherited from my mother's side of the family was speed. The other was my invisibility shield. Considering that I was part human, I was just as fast as my Grandfather Edward. I began to pick up my pace, laughing for the first time all morning. I loved the feeling of running, of being free. I felt the wind through my hair, rejoicing as it caressed my face. I ran until I knew I was well past our borders. I finally slowed down when I picked up the scent of a bear.

I followed the path to my prey, entranced with the hypnotic sound of its moist heart beating. I picked up a second beat and quickened my pace like a stealthy cat. I finally stumbled across a black bear and made myself invisible.

It took the slightest amount of concentration to use my gift. I just pictured myself disappearing and it would happen. Whenever I turned on my shield, I would experience the sensation of being underwater. The only difference from being under actual water was that I could breathe just fine. It made me feel weightless and everything around me seemed to have a shimmer to it, like the sun's rays reflecting on the bottom of a pool. But if I focused on an object, it would stand out.

I could see the bear in vivid clarity. She stood out amongst the trees and the rest of the forest. My mouth began to fill with venom as the steady beat of her heart began to pull me in. She couldn't see me. She had no idea of the danger she was in. I was about to pounce when I finally realized what the second heartbeat I'd heard was. There was a little cub next to her, eating some berries.

I debated for half a minute. On one hand, the mother would be delicious, the baby a sweet dessert. On the other hand, we were taught at a very young age that you didn't kill if you knew the animal was a mother. Without the mother, the baby wouldn't survive. It would eventually mess up our food chain.

Sighing regrettably, I backed away and found a herd of deer. I drank three before the burning in my throat stopped. Life was such a viscous tease sometimes. I had been tempted with crème brulée and instead got a flavorless wafer. Brushing off any hairs that had gotten on my clothes, I strolled back the way I came and headed towards a meadow I knew of.

I knew this place well. My grandmother had described it to me in detail. It held special significance for her and my grandfather. I looked around the area now. It was barren. There was some light snow on the ground in certain areas, the grass and flowers dead. I could picture it though in the spring, filled with life. I sat down on the ground and drew my legs up to my chin.

I began to fantasize. I pictured coming here with Nate when the weather was nicer. Would this area hold the same magic for us as it did my grandparents? I could imagine lying back in the grass with Nate hovering over me, his lips brushing mine.

I wondered what it would be like. I had never been kissed before. I'd never had a chance. What would it feel like to have his lips pressed fervently to mine? Would it be soft and tender, or would it be a little rough and passionate? I wasn't naïve about sex. It was kind of hard to be when you lived with Rosalie and Emmett. But I wondered what it would feel like to have Nate's hands on me, touching my breasts…maybe traveling elsewhere.

I laid down on the ground and put my hands behind my head. I stared up at the sky, watching as the darker clouds mixed with lighter ones. From what I could understand, there was no better feeling then being intimate with your imprint. What would it be like with Nate? I began to let my mind wander again, picturing Nate throwing me over his shoulder only to take me to a tent filled with pillows where he'd have his wicked way with me.

I was so lost in my daydreams that it took me a moment to realize I was being watched. I sat up, my heart racing and instantly made myself invisible. I looked around and spotted something large a hundred yards away. It seemed to grow restless as soon as I disappeared from its sight. My heart slowed down slightly as I realized that I recognized the shape. My father and brother could phase into it. I was looking at one of the Quileute wolves. As it came out of the shadows my heart leapt back into overdrive. I recognized that wolf. I had seen it on the night of Quil and Claire's wedding reception. The coat gleamed almost white, the familiar eyes looking frantic as he sniffed around desperately for my scent. Nate.

He went behind a large bush and came out in human form, fastening his pants as he walked. My eyes were immediately drawn to that area. I'd just pictured undressing him in my fantasies. I resisted the urge to go to him and run my fingers along his defined abs. He was so incredibly beautiful.

Nate walked into the clearing and took a deep breath. His shoulders suddenly slumped. He was about to turn around, when I let go of my shield and reappeared right before him. He looked startled for a minute before walking slowly towards me.

"I thought you'd left," he said softly.

"What…um…what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I needed to clear my head so I thought I'd go out for a run. I picked up your scent so I headed this way," Nate replied. "What about you?"

"Sort of the same thing…I was out running," I murmured.

"Well, I didn't mean to disturb you," he said. "I'll leave you to your thoughts."

My face blushed slightly. How did I tell him he _was_ my thoughts? My mother's advice from earlier began to filter through my mind.

_If you give Nate a chance, you won't regret it._

Nate had started to turn away when I stopped him. "You don't have to go."

His hands balled into fists for a minute before he gave me a look of hopeless despair.

"Meena, I can't do this anymore," he finally muttered. "I can't pretend to be just your friend. It hurts too much…"

He stalked over to me, reminding me of a great hunter.

"I want to be a part of your life so much it kills me to be away from you. But I can't stand to just be your friend either. I don't think I can even try anymore. It's not right. We're not supposed to be this way, can't you see that?"

He asked it with such agony that my heart broke for him. I felt as though a line was being drawn. On one side was Gabe, on the other was Nate. I wanted to cross that line. I wanted to be able to tell Nate I understood where he was coming from. Because there was a part of me that wanted the same thing he wanted…for us to be together.

Instead, I said, "I should go."

Before I knew it, Nate was in front of me grabbing my shoulders.

"Stop denying it. I've played it your way for over two years now. I even pretended you didn't kiss me at my birthday party because it seemed to be what you wanted. And the last month of resorting to being just friends again has been absolute bullshit. I thought after my party we'd progress to something closer. We're not and I'm miserable and I know you are too. You're my imprint. I feel what you feel, remember? You can try to pretend that you're happy, but I know you're not. So tell me why. Why are you doing this? Why do you keep pushing me away?"

It seemed like all his emotions had been bottled up since he imprinted and Nate was finally at his breaking point. But it was his last question that made me want to cry. I hated knowing I was the cause of his pain.

"I'm scared," I finally whispered.

"Of what?" Nate asked, cupping my cheeks with his warm hands. I closed my eyes briefly at the contact.

"I'm afraid I'll lose my brother."

"Doesn't he want you to be happy?" Nate questioned angrily.

"Yes, of course he does. But how can I be happy when Gabe is so miserable? How can I be in a relationship with you, when you two will always feel animosity towards each other?"

"I don't know," Nate replied quietly. "What I do know though is that I wouldn't have imprinted on you if we weren't supposed to be together. Gabe and I are both trying. We haven't gotten in a fight in a few months. I…everything will eventually work out in the end, Meena. You just have to have a little faith."

I started to shake my head in denial. Nate finally snapped and did the one thing I secretly hoped he'd do. Grabbing my waist, he pulled me to him, quickly tilting up my face so that he could crush his lips against mine. At first, it was almost painful, born out of sheer desperation. And then the kiss lightened and I felt myself melt into it.

Nate deepened the kiss, brushing his tongue along my bottom lip. Sparks broke out over my skin, causing me to gasp. As soon as I did, his tongue entered my mouth and the entire dynamic of our kiss seemed to shift. He pulled me fiercely to him, lifting me off the ground. My arms went around his neck. My one leg moved over his thigh bringing my feminine center against his now aroused flesh. Both of us shuddered at the new contact, causing Nate to break our kiss only to rest his head against mine.

"I like the way you taste," he murmured. "Like tangy wild berries."

Oh God! The venom! I quickly swallowed and was relieved to not taste any in my mouth. Still there must have been a little left after my recent hunt.

"Are you feeling okay?" I questioned, immediately concerned and filled with self-anger. If anything happened to Nate because of my carelessness, I'd never forgive myself.

"Am I okay?" Nate chuckled. "I've never felt better."

He set me back on the ground. I immediately wrapped my arms around his waist, my cheek resting against his warm abs as we held each other. I pressed my nose against his skin and breathed in his woodsy scent.

"Meena, can we maybe go out sometime?" Nate asked against my hair. "Like as in a date?"

I searched my feelings. The emptiness was gone. I was happier than I ever remembered being in my life. And it was all because of Nate.

"Yes, I'd like that," I answered, looking up at him. Nate's face lit up.

"How about next Saturday at 6 PM? We could go to the movies and maybe get some dinner…if you eat out, that is."

"I love pizza," I told him and watched his face break out into a huge smile.

"Great, I know this place in Forks that serves the best pizza," he told me. "So Saturday then?

"Okay," I replied shyly.

Nate tilted my head again and kissed my lips one more time. It was brief, but it sent delicious chills all over my skin.

"Thank you," he said in soft relief.

"I…I guess I should get going," I remarked, slowly pulling from his embrace. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I'd already been out too long. My parents would be wondering where I was.

Nate sighed sadly. "I should probably go too. I'll see you in class on Monday and then our date Saturday."

I giggled at the way he kept repeating the day of our date.

"Right, Saturday," I confirmed one more time.

"Sweet." He broke into another wide smile before frowning. "I might be a little late. Azra and Seth are taking Brady to Vegas next weekend for Brady's birthday. Dev and I are going to have to pull longer patrols."

"All right."

We stared at each other for a moment before I jumped up against him and Nate wrapped his arms around me again. We kissed once more, almost desperately. It was as though the lid finally burst off the pot, and all of our emotions and desire for one another were spilling over. Finally breaking away, we sheepishly smiled at each other before I turned and ran. As soon as I knew I was too far for him to see me, I stopped running and let out a shriek. Lifting up my hand, I touched my swollen-kissed lips.

For my first kiss, it had been perfect.

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**End Note**

Thank you everyone who left me a review on the previous chapter. Because I'm trying to do writing on a professional level, getting feedback means the world to me.

I have the next chapter all ready to go. I've set a goal for myself for reviews. As soon as I reach it, I'll post again, which could be as early as today. So you review, I post. ;)

Oh, and I almost forgot! Happy Mother's Day!


	8. A Division

**Announcements**

**1) Reminders**

You can still vote for the Silent Tear Awards. "Forbidden Imprint (Embry's Story)" has been nominated for the "Forbidden Love" category. Thanks again for your support!

http:/silent-tear-awards(dot)webs(dot)com/vote(dot)htm

Also, if you haven't had a chance yet to check out the M version of "First Imprint (Sam's Story)" on Twilighted, I hope you do. I'm really happy with how it's turning out. I've added a ton to it, such as a certain Elder's reaction to Embry phasing. Check it out and let me know what you think!

http:/www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/viewstory(dot)php?sid=9559

**2) Twitter**

I'm on Twitter if you want to follow me. My account information is on my profile page.

**3) Meena**

I had quite a few people ask me about Meena being venomous. Here's a reply I gave to a couple of people. Yes, Meena is venomous. Gabe, however, is not. The twins don't follow the SM rules (of only males being venomous), because they are truly the first of their kind. They aren't halfpires, they're hybrids. They have both vampire blood and shape-shifter blood. Now, what's interesting about them is that they separately inherited certain prominent traits from their family. Meena inherited the vampire traits, including being venomous and constantly needing blood. Gabe inherited the wolf traits which include phasing and being Alpha. Being venomous was something Meena inherited from Edward. It is one of the many obstacles facing Nate and Meena.

Finally, I just wanted to say thanks for the feedback on the previous chapter everyone! I received some really good questions, some of which I answered in this chapter through the characters. That's another reason I love getting your comments! It helps me fill in information. Anyways, I hope you enjoy part two of Meena' POV.

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_The course of true love never did run smooth._

_A Midsummer Night's Dream_

_William Shakespeare_

**Chapter 8 – A Division**

_November 9, 2025 - November 15, 2025_

Meena's POV

As I got closer to my house after running into Nate in the meadow, I could hear the voices of my Aunt Rebecca and Embry. I hurried in so I could say goodbye to Luke before he left. As soon as I entered the room, all conversation stopped as the members of my family looked at me. Gabe with a shocked look on his face, my father with a hint of anger, and my mother looking decidedly smug.

"Hello Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Embry," I nodded politely to them. Embry wasn't technically my uncle, but I had grown up with him. When my family lived in Vermont, Embry had lived close by as he'd attended medical school on the east coast. He'd been a constant visitor in our home.

"And where have you been?" My dad asked, his tone strict. I saw my mother nudge him and whisper "Jake" in warning.

"I was just out walking," I replied, not looking at anyone, hoping they couldn't tell that I'd just been thoroughly kissed.

"Who with?" My father questioned, standing up.

I didn't know why I tried to hide what I was doing. They could probably smell Nate all over me. I found that I didn't care. I was happy! I was supposed to be with Nate. And I was tired of fighting it.

"I ran into Nate, okay?" I said defiantly.

"No, it's not okay and you can drop that tone," my father snapped at me. "You said you were going for a walk. I don't appreciate you lying to us."

"I didn't lie," I replied defensively. "We just ran into each other, that's all!"

"Go to your room," he ordered, running a hand angrily through his hair.

Trying not to show how hurt I was, I lifted my chin and left the room, walking up the stairs with as much dignity as I could muster. I never got into fights with my parents. I just wasn't that girl. But one day of being with Nate and we were at each other's throats.

Had I made a horrible mistake by agreeing to go out with him? As soon as I entered my room, I slammed my door hard, hearing something crack in the woodwork. What did it matter? I was back to being miserable. I threw myself across my bed, burying my face in my pillow and giving into the tears I couldn't hold back any longer.

I heard my parents arguing below. My father thought I was sneaking around. My mother was telling my father and brother to knock off their behavior. I covered my ears not wanting to hear anymore.

Why couldn't things just work out? Why couldn't everything play out like they did in my fantasies? I wanted so much for my family to accept Nate. My mother and father got to be together, even with their awkward past. Surely I could be with Nate without it affecting my family.

"Meena honey?" My mother called out. I heard her come into my room and sit on my bed. Her hands began to run up and down my back in small circles. "So what happened?"

I rolled over so that I could face her. "I didn't plan to run into Nate, I swear."

"I know, you would have told me this morning. So you want to tell me about it?"

"I was laying in a meadow thinking over everything you said, and he found me there. We got to talking and h-he asked me out."

"Really?" My mother asked, a small smile appearing on her face. "What did you say?"

Biting my lip, I admitted, "I said yes."

"Well, it's about time," my mother replied gleefully.

"But Dad is so upset," I remarked tearfully.

"He's not upset over the idea of you and Nate. He just wants you to be honest about your relationship. If you want to date Nate, that's fine. But always be upfront about it."

"Okay," I nodded before blurting out. "Nate kissed me."

"Yeah?" My mother responded, before sniffing overdramatically. "My baby's first kiss."

Groaning, I buried my face back into my pillow in embarrassment.

"So how was it?" She giggled.

"It was…it was amazing," I finally glanced at her and saw the look of satisfaction on her face.

"It usually is with your imprint," my mother replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Okay, if you're about to discuss intimate secrets regarding you and father, please stop."

"You're no fun," Ness returned. Standing up, she said, "C'mon, why don't we see what you have in your closet. You have to wear just the right thing for your first date. Maybe we should call Aunt Alice."

"No," I said instantly, getting up from the bed. "She'll make me do a fashion show over the Internet and I don't want to deal with that right now."

My mother laughed and hugged me. We were about to head over to my closest when we heard Embry and Rebecca tell Luke that they were planning on eloping today. Rushing downstairs with my mom, we headed back into the living room, my dad and brother entering the room at the same time from the kitchen area.

"When do we leave?" Jake asked Embry.

My mother so perfectly in tune with my father, added, "Yeah, you're not getting married without us."

My father looked over at me. Noticing my puffy eyes, he came over and hugged me tight.

"I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, kissing the side of my head. I hugged him back, silently forgiving him.

After some discussion and a few stops, we were soon on our way to Reno. I was happy for Embry and Rebecca. They really loved each other. You could see it with every glance and touch. Luke was ecstatic at the idea of his parents marrying, though he was careful to hide it from Embry. They were still trying to build their relationship.

When we finally arrived in Reno after a long drive, it was to be greeted by my Cullen relatives. My mother had called them to let them know we were driving out of state. Alice then had a vision of the Cullens standing in the Agape Love Wedding Chapel and they knew this is where we were headed. Embry had grown close to the Cullens over the years, especially to Carlisle, who had become his mentor. They wanted to be here to see him finally get his happy ending.

In the late hours of the night, I watched as Rebecca Black became Rebecca Call. I couldn't help but envy my aunt a little, though I knew I shouldn't. She and Embry went through hell to be together. Now they were going to be joined for the rest of their lives. Better yet, it was revealed through a vision Alice had, that Rebecca was pregnant. My aunt seemed to glow when she heard the news. She was getting her happy ending too. Mine was still to be determined.

We found a hotel and crashed for the night. The next morning, Gabe and I missed school to laze around the hotel's indoor pool. Or at least that was the plan. My mother let it slip to Aunt Alice that I had a date. Instead of getting to go swimming, Alice took me shopping to find the perfect outfit. She wanted me to wear a dress. I refused. We were only going to get pizza and a movie after all.

My aunt and I compromised instead. Alice found a cute pair of designer jeans that shaped me in all the right places. I found a deep green sweater that brought out the color of my eyes. I matched it with a brand new pair of brown boots. Alice stated that it was perfect. I then had to sit through two hours of testing out different hair and makeup styles. When Alice was finally satisfied that I had the "right look," I pleaded exhaustion and headed down to the pool where I found Gabe and Luke.

"So did you get your date outfit picked out?" Gabe asked, keeping his eyes on Luke who was splashing in the pool.

"Yes," I said hesitantly. I looked down at the arm of my lounger, feeling uneasy. Gabe looked over at me.

"I'm sure you'll have a good time, Meens," Gabe said.

"Are you…are you okay with me going out with Nate?" I finally blurted out.

"Meena, I only want you to be happy. If this guy does it for you, then yeah, I'm fine with it."

I bit my lip, feeling miserable. I heard Gabe sigh next to me.

"Look, I'm really, truly glad that things are beginning to work out for you and Nate. I know you like him. There's nothing wrong in that. I just wish…"

"What?"

Gabe frowned. "I just wish someone else could have imprinted on you. I hate that Nate and I bring out the worst in each other. I can't stop the anger I feel when I look at him. It's like I disappear and something ugly and sinister takes over whenever we're around each other."

I shook my head regretfully. "Gabe, I won't go out with him. I swear."

"Meena, don't be stupid or so self-sacrificing. I'm not telling you this so you'll cancel your date. If you choose me over your own happiness, that'll really piss me off. I can't help the way I feel about Nate, but if you let that get in the way of what you could have, then you're an idiot."

I sat shocked. Gabe had never spoken to me so rudely before. He sat back in his chair and squeezed the bridge of his nose. For the first time, I picked up that something was really wrong with Gabe.

"I'm sorry," he finally said when I was too quiet. "I shouldn't have said it that way. But Meena, while I appreciate your concern for my well-being, we're both seventeen now. I don't need you to act like my second mother all the time."

"I'm not…"

"Really? Then drop your martyr act, because it's getting really old, fast. Go on your date, have a fucking great time, and quit worrying about me."

He got up from his lounger and dove into the pool. I got up from my own chair, trembling, and made my way back to my hotel room. My mother and Grandmother Bella were in there getting caught up.

"What's wrong, honey?" My mother said as soon as she saw me.

"Gabe's being a jerk," I sniffed. My mother's eyebrows instantly snapped down. Gabe and I never fought.

"Don't let it get to you," my grandmother said, wrapping her cold arms around me for a brief hug. "He asked your uncles earlier for some news about Tanya. Apparently, she's met another vampire and things are getting serious. Gabe was upset by the news."

So that meant I could be his proverbial punching bag? For the first time in my life, I was truly fed up. I had made myself miserable and for what? A brother who thought he could treat me any way he wanted just because he heard something he didn't like? I always put his needs before mine and I was tired of it.

Upon what could only be impeccable timing, I heard my cell phone beep. Going over to my purse, I saw that I had a text message from Nate.

_N: Just wanted to make sure you were okay._

He apparently didn't hear that Embry and Rebecca eloped the night before. He probably thought there was something wrong because I wasn't in school. I replied back.

_M: I'm good. Embry & Rebecca eloped. I'm in Reno right now._

I got an instant reply back.

_N: Will you be home soon?_

_M: LOL, yes, we're coming back tomorrow. Saturday is still on._

_N: Cool! _

I thought that was it until a couple of minutes later when my phone beeped again.

_N: Missed you in school today._

I smiled tenderly at that.

_M: Missed you too._

I heard my grandma sigh. "Young love."

"Grandmother, you're technically only in your 30s. I think what you and grandfather have still qualifies as young love."

"I'm 18 and I'll always be 18," she answered with a wink. Alice, Esme, and Rosalie came in a short time later and I spent the rest of the afternoon getting caught up with my relatives.

The drive back the next day was uncomfortable. Gabe wasn't really speaking to anyone. He had thrown on some earphones and tuned out the rest of the world. Luke kept me entertained for a good part of the trip. He was going to stay with us, while his parents stayed in Reno for the rest of the week for their honeymoon. As soon as we got home, I went up to my room and spent some time trying to decide what to wear for school the next day. It was going to be the first time I saw Nate since the meadow.

That night I had a beautiful dream that Nate and I were married. We were surrounded by trees and all of our family was there, even Gabe. I had on a dress with a long flowing train and lots of lace and beading. It was a little too fancy and I knew my aunts were behind it. When Nate and I were pronounced man and wife, he kissed me, and we started to soar through the air.

I woke up the next morning more eager than ever to see Nate. I put my hair up in a messy bun and did my makeup more careful than normal. I threw on a pink knit sweater that fell off one shoulder slightly. I wore it with some tight fitting jeans and flats. Checking myself in my bedroom mirror, I nervously looked for any flaws. When I didn't see any, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. My mom was in there feeding Luke breakfast.

"Honey," my mother said. "Gabe decided to take his motorcycle to school today. Could you drop Luke off at the elementary school before you head to class?"

"Sure Mom," I replied, frowning over Gabe's behavior. My mother came over and patted my cheek.

"Gabriel is going through a rough time, and I think his heart's been broken just a bit. Have patience with him."

I nodded before grabbing my backpack and Luke. We headed towards the garage and got in the BMW. Luke chatted the entire way to school. As soon as I pulled up to the parking lot, he hopped out and waved goodbye, before running over to Aunt Rachel's son, Sean. I waved at both my cousins before heading towards the high school. The first person I saw after entering the building was Nate. He was waiting for me at my locker.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," I responded, feeling stupidly shy.

"How was Reno?" He asked, leaning sexily against the locker next to me.

"It was good. My mom's side of the family came down for the wedding. They've always been close to Embry. It was nice seeing everyone."

"I'm glad you had a good time." Nate smiled at me, making my stomach do flip flops. I turned away quickly and gathered what I needed out of my locker for my class.

"So…can I walk with you to class?" Nate asked.

"Sure," I said in a laughing tone. It was strange. We had been so comfortable with each other for awhile, but now everything seemed brand new. In a good way…in a _very_ good way, in fact.

As we began walking, Nate reached down and tentatively touched my hand. When I didn't pull away, he clasped his palm to mine. We held hands the entire walk down the hall, causing whispers and stares to break out from our fellow students. I gravitated closer to Nate, not liking to be the center of attention.

Yet, there was also a small part of me that liked this very much. For once, I wasn't the freak. I was on the arm of the most desired male in our school. And he was looking adoringly at _me_! I felt almost vindicated. All those guys and girls who had whispered horrendous things about me, could shove it. I smiled at my terminology.

"What's that look for?" Nate asked, nudging me a little with his arm.

"I was thinking I've been around other teenagers for too long now. I'm beginning to develop a cocky attitude."

"I don't think you're cocky," Nate replied in confusion.

I shook my head and admitted, "I like being on your arm. Since I've started school, I haven't ever felt like I fit in until now. I like it."

"I'm glad," he said tenderly. I bit my lip and winced as I stared at him.

"I also like that the girls who've been saying stuff about me are now staring at me incredulously," I confessed shamefully.

Instead of rolling his eyes at my immature behavior or letting go of my hand in disgust at my pettiness, Nate brought my hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it. I heard the voices in the hall rise in excitement at this display. But I instantly forgot about them as I stared into Nate's smoldering eyes. I felt like I had just been handed a prize. And in a way I had…I was given Nate.

We entered our first hour classroom and sat in our assigned seats. Nate only let go of my hand to open his book. Once he was situated, he grabbed it again, letting our joined hands rest on top of the table for the world to see.

"So, I was thinking…" I started to work up a topic I was nervous to discuss with him. "My mom said that if it was all right with your parents, maybe you and I could go and stay with my Cullen relatives one weekend. We'd be able to interview my Uncle Jasper for our term paper."

Nate stiffened and I turned my head, trying not to show my disappointment in his reaction. I started to pull my hand away but he wouldn't let go.

"Meena, I want to. I do. They're apart of who you are and I know they're important to you. It's just that…I've never been around blood-err-vampires for long periods of time. The only ones I've ever come across, I've destroyed. I-I don't know how well I'll be able to control myself."

"I see," I said despondently.

"You know what?" Nate stated in a suddenly determined tone. "I'll try anyway. If it gets too much, I'll leave. I mean, Seth used to hang out with the Cullens all the time. If he can do it, I can."

"Really?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah," he said, putting on a brave face. I couldn't help it. I leaned over and brushed my lips lightly against his, right in front of the rest of the students.

"Thank you, Nate," I whispered.

He had a stunned smile on his face which made me giggle. Mr. Elwah coughed loudly, looking pointedly in our direction. Some of my classmates laughed, but I didn't care. We listened to Rafe's lecture, holding hands the entire time. It was hard to separate once we had to go to our second hour class.

I grudgingly went to my next class, which was bio-chemistry, and one of two classes I didn't have with Nate. As soon as I walked into the room, everyone seemed to stop talking. I sat in my seat with my head up. Gabe had this class with me. He came in shortly after I did and immediately began looking through his notes. His behavior hurt, but I was taking his advice. I was giving into Nate and enjoying every minute of it.

"So, what's the deal with you and Nate Uley?" A girl named Jen questioned. I didn't know her well except she was friends with Gracie. It seemed like the entire class was subtly angling their seats to better hear our conversation.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"Are you two a couple or what?" Jen asked.

"I…I guess," I said with a slight frown. I didn't really know what we were. We hadn't even gone out on our first date yet. Could I consider him my boyfriend? We seemed so much more than that, but I didn't want to be presumptuous.

"Well, you're lucky. Nate's hot," Jen said, sitting back in her chair. "Though not as hot as some of his friends. Have you ever met Azra?"

"Yes, briefly," I smiled politely while silently shaking my head. No one could compare to Nate.

"Azra is so gorgeous," she remarked. "I'd fuck him in a minute."

I just continued to smile. I wasn't good at socializing and I think this was the longest conversation I'd ever had with a fellow student that wasn't Nate.

"Maybe you could ask Nate if we could double date," Jen continued. "You know, you and Nate, me and Azra."

"Isn't…um…isn't Azra a little old for you?"

"I don't care. Going by his looks, I'd say he's in his mid-20s. I'm almost 18. We'd be perfect for each other."

As she said this, she licked her lips. I was momentarily distracted by the silvery flash of her tongue ring.

"You're friends with Gracie Uley, aren't you?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Gracie? Yeah."

I saw Gabe turn his head in my direction. I lifted my shoulder, effectively blocking him from my sight.

"She's younger than you, isn't she?"

"Yeah, well…about a year or so."

"So what made you decide to hang out with someone younger?" I wondered. I was curious about Gracie Uley. She not only was Nate's sister, but she had caught my brother's attention.

"Well, at first, it was nice to hang out with her because she's the chief's daughter. There are definite perks to that. But Gracie's just a cool girl. I'm sure if you're dating Nate, you'll discover that on your own."

I nodded, before turning my head towards the front of the classroom. Our teacher had just walked in and immediately began class. As soon as it was over, I headed towards my next class. I felt someone grab my hand as I walked. Looking up, I smiled as I caught sight of Nate.

"How was bio-chem?" He asked.

"Boring," I told him. It was so easy for me, it was ridiculous. "How about you? How was Spanish?"

"About the same," he replied.

We went to our next class and then it was lunch time. Nate looked sad as he glanced at me.

"Well, I guess you'll be eating with Gabe, huh?" He questioned.

"Actually…would it be all right if I ate with you today?" Gabe could sit by himself.

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

Nate smiled brightly. "That'd be great."

We went to lunch. I got to sit at the "cool" table for once. I was having fun, but couldn't help glancing worriedly around for Gabe.

I found him sitting with Gracie and her disciples. Her friend, Ari, was practically sitting in his lap, much to Gracie's dismay. Gracie's boyfriend didn't look too thrilled about having Gabe there either. I turned back around and forced myself to forget about my twin. I concentrated on Nate instead, and found it alarmingly easy to forget about everything else. Devlin sat down across from me with a look of surprised pleasure on his face. A girl named Jessie sat next to him. She didn't look that happy to see me sitting so close to Nate.

"Dev, listen," Nate said. "I'm planning on going with Meena up north to visit her relatives soon. Her uncle is um…an expert in the Civil War…and we're going to talk to him for our term paper.

Devlin smirked as he knew exactly what an expert Uncle Jasper was.

Nate continued in a voice too low for human ears. Can you handle the pack?"

Devlin nodded, smiling at me again. "So Aunt Rebecca's wedding was something else, wasn't it?"

Our discussion shifted from topic to topic after that. I had never enjoyed lunch so much, even though I only drank a glass of water. I really wasn't hungry for human food. I was saving up my appetite for my date with Nate. The rest of the day flew by. As it was Wednesday, Nate and I stayed after school to work on our paper for a few hours and then he drove me home. Before he reached our property though, he pulled off on a secluded road.

"I hope you don't mind," he said sheepishly. "I just wanted to kis-"

Before he could finish I was at his side, grabbing his head and pulling it towards me. Our lips met together in sweet reunion, making my entire being tingle in anticipation. We somehow managed to get into the backseat of his car. I found myself straddling his lap, pressing myself wantonly against him. For the first time, I understood the hold Tanya had over Gabe. My hormones, which were magnified because of my hybrid status, were suddenly screaming out of control. I wanted to feel every inch of Nate's body. I let my instincts take over.

Nate sucked on my neck causing me to groan. I reached for his t-shirt and pushed it up, getting a tantalizing glimpse of his abs. I ran my fingers under the material, moving my hands to his pecks. I found his hardened nipples and I scraped my thumbnails against them repeatedly. Nate made a hissing noise, before pulling my hips forcefully against his jean covered erection. The mere size of him took my breath away and made me momentarily hesitate in virginal fear.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't think I can have sex with you…not right now…" I admitted embarrassingly.

Nate's laugh came out somewhat hoarse. "Meena, our first time isn't going to be in the back of my car."

I smiled in relief before I reached up to cup the side of his face. Something else was worrying me.

"Nate, I don't want to hurt you," I whispered fearfully.

"What do you mean?" He questioned, running his hand up and down my back.

"I-I'm venomous."

He shrugged. "I know."

"You do?" I asked in surprise.

Nate looked a little sheepish. "When you were living in Vermont, I used to ask Devlin for details about you. He mentioned it once in passing."

I didn't know if I should be flattered that he wanted to know more about me, or annoyed with my cousin for revealing my secrets. Instead, I went with feeling relief that Nate knew the truth.

"Aren't you scared?" I asked unsurely.

He pulled me to him so that his forehead could rest against mine. "I told you…I wouldn't have imprinted on you if we weren't meant to be together. I'm not afraid. It's not like you're going to bite me, right?"

I suddenly blushed as erotic images began to fill my mind. Upon seeing my reaction, Nate chuckled.

"Why don't we just take it slow for now," he suggested. "Maybe we can touch a little?"

I nodded. Nate reached for my shirt and pulled it off my head. After some fumbling, my bra was also removed. He pulled back and looked down at my breasts. I glanced down at myself and saw my hardened points sticking out in need. I almost covered them with my arms, but Nate was staring at my body in sheer fascination. With one trembling hand, he reached up and cupped my soft globe. He ran his thumb in a lazy circle around the peak, making me moan in slight frustration. I wanted him to touch me.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I don't want you to touch me like that," I admitted. He smiled devilishly at me.

"How do you want me touch you then?"

I took his hand and placed it right over my nipple.

"I see," Nate teased. "So, do you like this?"

He ran his thumb back and forth over my aching point.

"Yes," I rasped.

"What about this?" Nate asked, pulling on it now.

"Yes," I practically screeched.

Looking at me with desired filled eyes, Nate bent and kissed the peak of my breast.

"Did you like that?" He wondered.

"Yes," I squirmed. Losing all inhibition, I pleaded. "Do it again."

This time, he latched on to me, suckling my sensitive bud, while his hand played with the other one. It felt so good, that I began to move my pelvis back and forth against him. It wasn't enough. I broke away and moved my hands to the fastening of my jeans. Nate's hands stopped me.

"I can't," he breathed heavily. "I'm barely holding on. I-If you take off your pants…your arousal is the single most addicting scent I've ever encountered. I don't think I'll be able to stop if you take them off."

"Oh," I said, feeling like a shameless hussy. I was about to climb off his lap when he grabbed my waist to steady me.

"I want more…so much. Are you ready for that?"

I debated for a half a second. A part of me was ready, but that was my overactive hormones talking. The other half wanted the romance…at least a first date. Sighing, I rested my head on his chest. He kissed the side of my head before reaching down for my bra on the seat next to us. I pulled back and got dressed again. He winced as he made his way to the driver's seat. I looked down and saw that he still had a raging erection. I giggled quietly.

"You think this is funny?" He joked lightly.

"A little," I teased. Truth be told, I was proud. Nate was one of the most powerful males I had ever encountered…and I did that to him.

Once we got situated, Nate started up the car and we headed for my house. Giving him one final kiss, I got out of the car and headed inside. The rest of the week flew by. Nate and I hung out together as much as we could during school hours. I was on cloud nine, all because of him. The only thing to damper my spirits was Gabe, who was apparently still upset over Tanya.

Finally, Saturday arrived. I went out and hunted some small game. It was enough to take the burning away from my throat, but still left room for pizza. I went in and took a long shower before doing my hair, pulling it back on one side. I got dressed in my Alice approved outfit. I glanced at the clock. It was 5:45 PM. Nate was supposed to be here in 15 minutes. I pulled on my new boots and added a brown belt to go over my sweater. Adding some emerald earrings and an emerald necklace, I was ready with minutes to spare.

I waited in my room for Nate to arrive. I wanted to make a grand entrance when he got here. I was excited, because Nate was actually going to come to my front door and officially meet my parents as my date.

A half hour later, I was still waiting in my room. I checked my cell phone, but there was no message. I remembered he said he might be a little late though. I finally went downstairs and stationed myself at the front door. I waited there for an hour, barely moving a muscle. Around 8 PM, I called Nate's cell but only got his voicemail. Plucking up my courage, I called the Uley house.

"Hello," I heard a voice I recognized as Emily's.

"Hello Mrs. Uley, this is Meena Black."

"Hello dear, how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. I was wondering if Nate was there."

"Last I knew, he was out patrolling," Emily replied. "Wasn't tonight the night of your date? I know Nate's been talking about it nonstop."

I smiled briefly at that. "Yes, he said he'd be a little late, but I thought he'd be here by now."

"Well, I'm sure that if he's not there yet, it's for a good reason."

"He's not in trouble or anything, is he? I mean, you haven't heard anything about the pack running into problems tonight?"

"No," Emily responded. "If there was a vampire sighting, we'd be informed by now."

"Oh…okay," I said, trying not to sound disappointed.

"I'm sure he's just detained, Meena. I know he wouldn't miss your date by choice."

"Thanks Mrs. Uley," I said, before ending the call.

I continued to wait, but there was no word from Nate. I checked my cell repeatedly but to no avail. I knew if he was in danger, Emily would have called me. And…I would have felt it. Around midnight, I headed up to my room.

"Meena, is there anything I can do for you?" My mother asked with tears in her eyes.

I shook my head, too tired and disappointed to verbalize. As I was about to enter my room, Gabe came out of his.

"He didn't show up?" He asked.

"No," I snapped. "Are you happy?"

"Meena, I-"

I didn't give him a chance to respond. I went into my room and quietly shut the door behind me. I then took off my date outfit and threw it in the back of my closest. I went into my private bath and scrubbed off my carefully applied makeup before pulling on my cotton pajamas and getting into bed.

I didn't cry. I was too emotionally drained to sum up the energy.

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**End Note**

Please vote for Embry if you get a chance and check out Sam's story! I also updated Leah's story yesterday. Check it out if you haven't already!

**Also, please review.** I know Nate stood Meena up, but I'm sure some of you can guess why. (UPDATE: No, it wasn't mentioned in any other story...you just have to guess.) ;)

Nate's POV is up next and then I'm switching back to either Gabe or Gracie's.


	9. Wardrobe Malfunction

**Author's Note**

**1) Story Follow-Up**

A lot of people asked if the reason Nate stood Meena up was mentioned in my other stories. The answer is no. Right now we're in the timeframe between Embry's wedding and the epilogue of Forbidden. This is new territory that hasn't been mentioned in any of my other stories.

**2) Nominations Needed **

I'm co-hosting a new fan fiction award called the _TwiTastic Awards_. You can begin to nominate your favorite stories May 31. Hope to see you there! (Side note: My stories will NOT be considered for any of the categories. LOL, that'd be pretty unethical to host an award and then allow your own stories to be nominated.) Anyway, you can find the link to the awards below or on my profile page.

http:/twitasticawards(dot)webs(dot)com/

**Warning - as mentioned in Chapter 1, this story contains some dark themes. Certain parts of this chapter may be uncomfortable for some to read as there is the **_**suggestion**_** of violence against women - nothing graphic.**

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_Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.  
_

_William Shakespeare_

_Macbeth_

**Chapter 9 – Wardrobe Malfunction**

Nate's POV

_November 17, 2025_

I swore profusely as I made my way into the school. I had already missed morning classes and I was exhausted. Devlin hadn't even bothered coming in today, but I couldn't stay away. I had to find Meena and explain why I missed our date. Our very first date and I messed it up. Fuck!

I headed straight for the cafeteria, standing in the doorframe and looking around. My normal table was filled with the usual crowd except Meena was absent. I glanced at her old table where she used to sit with Gabe, but she wasn't there either. I felt someone's glare and looked up to see Gabe staring at me with deadly eyes. He was sitting with Gracie and her friends again.

I didn't have time to deal with that douche. Ignoring him, I left the cafeteria and walked down the hall. Closing my eyes, I let my instincts take over. I felt a tugging on my spine and let it lead me in the direction of my imprint.

I found Meena in the band room, playing the piano somewhat melancholy. She stopped as soon as she sensed me. Looking over her shoulder, her eyes widened when she saw that I was standing there. Pushing away from the piano, she slowly stood up. Her fingers lightly trailed over the keys, making the lightest of noise.

"Meena, I'm so sorr-" I rushed over to her, but before I could finish, she covered my mouth with her hand.

"It's okay." She gave me a half smile. "Your mom called me yesterday and told me that a vampire came near the border while you were patrolling. She said you weren't able to notify anyone right away because Mac Pachena's son, Jason, phased right after."

"Yeah, he did," I replied with relief. "He was so scared and upset, we weren't able to get him to phase back until this morning. I wanted to leave before then, but it was just me and Dev since the other guys were in Vegas. Jason begged us to stay with him, and I couldn't leave him…he's my responsibility. But he calmed down enough yesterday that I had Dev tell my paren-"

"I know, Nate. It's really okay," Meena interrupted. I touched her cheek and then wearily rested my head against hers.

"I'm sorry. If there was anyway I could have gotten to you, I would have," I explained.

She pulled back and traced the circles under my eyes with her thumbs. I closed my eyes at her touch.

"You look exhausted," Meena said.

"Yeah, it was a long weekend. Dev and I chased the lee-err vampire-to the Canadian border and then I was dealing with Jason. I haven't slept in about 48 hours."

A mischievous smile appeared on Meena's face. "Why don't we skip school and get out of here?"

I felt myself grinning in return. "Meena Black, what's come over you? We could get detention."

Meena giggled. "It'd be worth it."

"I've got a better idea," I said, lifting her hand to my lips so I could kiss the back of it. "Come on."

We began walking down the hall. I was so tired, I stumbled a couple of times.

"Are you going to make it?" Meena asked.

"Yeah," I replied even as I yawned.

We made our way to the teacher's lounge and I knocked on the door. My gym teacher, Ms. Ldut, answered it. She flinched as soon as she saw it was me. I was pretty sure she'd never forgive me for being the reason her nose got broken.

"Yes?" She asked coldly.

"Is Mr. Elwah in here?" I questioned in my politest tone.

Rafe came to the door, his forehead shaping into frown lines. "What's up?"

"Can we speak to you privately?" I asked, looking back at Ms. Ldut.

"Sure, why don't we go into my classroom," Rafe suggested. I nodded and we walked down the hall and went into his room. Rafe faced me. "So what's going on?"

"Can you get us out of school?" I wondered.

"I don't make a habit of busting my students out of their classes, even if it is for my former Alpha's son," Rafe stated. "Still…Mac told me that Jason phased this weekend and you were up with him the entire time. You must be feeling pretty beat, huh?"

"Yeah, you could say that," I replied.

"Will your parents be angry?" Rafe asked Meena.

"They'll understand," she replied.

Rafe shook his head. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but yeah…okay. I'll fix it so you won't get in trouble if you leave right now."

"Thanks," I responded gratefully.

Meena and I headed outside and went to my car. I wobbled as I unlocked her door and held it open for her.

"Why don't you let me drive?" Meena implored.

"No." I immediately shook my head. "No one drives Ginger but me."

"Ginger?" Meena said with a confused expression.

I felt a blush cross my cheeks. "Umm…I named her after Ginger from Gilligan's Island…cause…uh, Ginger is hot and from the same decade as my car."

Meena raised an eyebrow and I felt my face become even hotter. She turned and ran her fingers along the frame of the car. She looked back at me and shook her head.

"We forgive you," she finally said.

"What?" I questioned. Maybe I would have gotten what she was talking about if my brain didn't currently feel like tapioca.

"For not knowing that Gilligan's Island ended in 1967 and Ginger here is a 1970 Chevelle," Meena stated, her mouth beginning to form into a smile. I felt my jaw drop slightly. The fact that she knew about cars and cheesy old shows I secretly loved would have normally been enough to give me a hard-on. Too bad I was so freaking exhausted.

"For Ginger's sake," Meena continued. "I refuse to let you get behind the wheel. You're way too tired to drive. So either I drive or we walk."

She held out her hands and I slowly reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys. I couldn't resist Meena's wishes even if I wanted to. So this is what it felt like giving into your imprint's orders. It was strange…I felt ecstatic, amused, and annoyed all at the same time.

"Thanks," she said with a smirk. She stood on her toes as high as she could go and gave me a kiss on the jaw. I bent down slightly so that she could kiss my lips instead. Giggling, she placed her mouth against mine before breaking away.

"Come on Uley," Meena ordered. "Let's get out of here."

I felt myself smirking. "Whatever you say, Black."

I sat in the passenger side and rested my head against the headrest, closing my eyes even though I was still smiling. It was such a relief that Meena wasn't pissed at me. And now we were going to spend the afternoon together. She hopped in behind the wheel and started the car. Ginger's motor began to rumble.

"Nice," Meena said, patting the dashboard tenderly. "All right Ginger, let's get Nate home."

I snickered, but kept my eyes closed as I felt the car go into motion. We hadn't even driven a minute when my stomach growled loudly.

"When was the last time you ate?" Meena asked curiously.

"Uh…Saturday morning, I think," I told her, finally opening my eyes.

"And you're a wolf," Meena said with a shake of her head. "You'll make yourself sick."

"I'm all right. Besides, I was too anxious to find you and explain everything."

Meena glanced over at me and frowned. "Never neglect yourself because of me, okay? I wouldn't be able to stand that."

"Okay," I agreed. I'd do anything she told me as long as it made her happy.

"Why don't we stop and get some food and then maybe go to…umm…"

"We can go to my house," I suggested. "My parents are at work right now. We could eat and watch a movie or something."

"All right." Meena smiled at me. We drove to Forks and got pizza at the place I'd planned on taking her for our broken date.

As we headed to my house, I asked, "So where did you learn about cars?"

"My grandfather and Aunt Rosalie. Aunt Rose especially took me under her wing and showed me everything she knew. I know how to do oil changes, tune ups, rebuild engines…"

"Nice!" I said excitedly. "I could have used your help on Ginger when I bought her. She was pretty much nothing but a pile of scrap. I had to completely redo everything."

"Why'd you decide to get her then?" Meena wondered curiously.

I shrugged, not wanting to relive the painful time after I had imprinted when Meena wasn't in my life.

"It gave me something to do. Besides, I liked the challenge," I told her. I felt her eyes on me, but she didn't pursue the topic any further. I began to ask her more about her knowledge in automobiles. I felt like bursting with pride at how much she knew.

We soon arrived at my home. We got inside and settled on the floor with the pizza, a 2-liter of soda for me, and a glass of water for Meena. I grabbed one of my mom's favorite movies.

"How about Titanic?" I asked. "It's a classic."

Meena laughed. "Sure."

She giggled again, causing me to look at her questioningly. "Uh…it's not a comedy."

"I know," Meena grinned. "It's just that…Titanic reminds me of my Uncle Emmett."

"Was he on the actual ship or something?" I asked as I put the movie in. It was surreal to think that Meena's relatives were old enough to have possibly been on the doomed vessel.

"No, he was born a few years after it sank," Meena explained. "It reminds me of him, because he once took my aunt to the wreckage site."

"I heard that it's expensive to see."

Meena laughed again. "Not for a vampire. He decided to take Aunt Rose there for their 65th wedding anniversary. He planned on them jumping in the water and diving down to the site. It's not like the pressure or cold water or anything would have killed them. He thought it'd be romantic to explore the wreck."

"And I take it your aunt wasn't impressed?" I questioned, smiling idiotically just because Meena was so happy.

"She refused to get out of the boat. The salty, cold water would have frizzed her hair. Uncle Emmett ended up going down by himself. When he didn't return after 16 hours, Aunt Rosalie finally went down to see what was taking him so long. She found him in one of the portholes. He apparently tried to get through it and got stuck. He couldn't get himself out without causing a huge gaping hole in the side. Considering how famous the wreck is, that wouldn't have been explainable. Aunt Rosalie was able to finally wedge him out though."

"I take it she wasn't too happy when they got back to the surface?" I snickered.

"Let's just say their romantic anniversary getaway was over rather quickly. Uncle Emmett had to walk back to Alaska, which is where my family was living at the time."

I snorted. "You should get them this movie for their next anniversary."

Meena grinned. "Sorry, I value my life too much."

"Don't worry, I'd protect you," I replied jokingly, yet very serious too.

Meena's face softened tenderly as she blushed and looked down at the pizza.

"So…uh…which slice do you want?" I asked.

She reached for the tiniest piece, biting into it delicately. I took three pieces and finished them off before she even finished swallowing her first bite. I grabbed the 2-liter and chugged half of it down.

"Good thing we ordered two pizzas, huh?" Meena giggled as I finished off two more slices.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I continued to chew.

"It's fine," Meena replied.

The movie started and before the opening credits even finished rolling, both pizzas were gone. I got up and quickly threw the empty boxes outside, before settling on the couch. Meena got up from the floor and sat next to me.

"Did you get enough to eat?" I asked since she only had one piece of pizza.

"More than enough," she beamed at me.

We got settled and continued to watch the movie. Feeling confident, I reached over and smoothly grabbed Meena's hand. A little grin appeared on her face. I stared at the screen, my heart thumping wildly at her touch. Unfortunately, my eyes began to burn with exhaustion. As Kate Winslet made her first appearance on the screen, I felt myself nodding off.

"Nate, do you want me to leave?" Meena's voice whispered in my ear.

I jerked up. Thanks to her vampire reflexes, she got out of the way before I could bump her head with mine. I had to blink a few times before my eyes would focus on her.

"No," I said shakily. "Don't leave."

Meena bit her lip before sighing. "Okay, but here."

She let go of my hand and scooted towards the end of the couch. She looked at me and patted her lap. When I looked at her blankly, she rolled her eyes.

"You can use my lap as a pillow if you want."

Oh. Holy. Jesus.

"Seriously?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I'm serious," Meena laughed.

Needing no further invitation, I sprawled out on the custom made couch. My dad had the couch made years ago to fit his large frame. Even though I was slightly taller than him, the couch still left some foot room. I rested my head on Meena's lap, kissing her one knee gratefully. Her wildflower scent surrounded me, comforting me. Meena began to run her hands through my hair, making me relax even further. I cursed my tiredness. I had my head on my imprint's lap and I could barely lift my head due to fatigue. I felt my eyes drift close on their own freewill. The next thing I was conscious of were whispered voices.

"How long has he been out?" My mother's voice murmured.

"About three hours," Meena replied.

"Do your parents know where you are?"

"Umm…"

"And you skipped school?" My mom asked in her most maternal tone…which normally meant I would be in deep shit.

"It was for a really good cause," Meena argued winningly.

I chuckled and opened my eyes. My mother gave me a look that said, _we'll talk later about this. _Sitting up, I yawned and stretched slightly before giving Meena a grateful smile. She reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it slightly in return. I heard my mother sniff sentimentally.

"Meena, do you want to stay for supper?" She asked.

"Thank you, Mrs. Uley, but I think I should get going," Meena replied.

"Okay…and call me Emily," my mom returned. "Mrs. Uley makes me feel old."

"You are old," I joked.

"Watch it, young man! Thirty-eight is hardly old," my mother stated with a mock glare. "And Alpha or not, I can still ground you."

"Sorry, Ma," I laughed. Meena got up from the couch and I instantly sobered. Standing up, I said sadly, "I guess I should drive you home, huh?"

Meena shook her head, "That's okay, I can walk. You're still tired."

"I feel a lot more awake than I did before," I insisted. "Come on, I can drive you."

"Well…all right," Meena replied with only slight hesitation before looking at my mom. "It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Ul-Emily."

"You too, Meena," my mom said.

We headed out to my car and started the journey to the Black property.

"I hope I didn't get you in trouble today," I told Meena worriedly.

She shook her head. "My parents will understand why I cut school. Well, I think my mother will at least."

"If you get in trouble, let me know."

Meena smiled at me. "What will you do if I get in trouble? Come and storm the house?"

I felt a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Definitely."

"Nate, can you pull over?" Meena asked.

"Sure," I replied instantly, pulling off on a secluded side road. I turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"

Meena nodded. She reached up and ran her fingers across my cheek. "I was just hoping…you know, since I might get punished and never see the light of day again…that maybe we might-"

Before she could finish, I was crushing my mouth against hers. With some careful maneuvering, we were in the backseat of my car. This seemed to be our make-out spot. God, I loved my car.

Meena straddled my lap. She reached for the hem of my shirt and slowly lifted it over my head. I heard her suck in a breath as she looked at my exposed chest.

"You are _so_ incredibly beautiful," she murmured, her fingers tracing the ridges of my abs. Her hands reached my pecks, her thumb grazing a nipple. My heart began to jolt out of my chest.

Bending down, she kissed the middle of my chest before her lips moved over to one of my pectorals. I watched as her tongue touched the pointed tip. My skin broke out into goosebumps and I felt my member go rigid. She began to suck on the sensitive flesh there. My fingers laced through her hair, holding her to me. When I felt her teeth lightly scrape me, I bucked up against her feminine center. Meena quickly pulled back.

"I'm so sorry," she said, tears in her eyes.

I stared at her in confusion. "What?"

"I-I used my teeth on you," she confessed, looking sick.

I glanced down at my body. Nothing seemed out of whack.

"I'm fine," I assured her. "You didn't break the skin."

Meena shook her head and started to climb off my lap. I quickly grabbed her hips, holding her to me.

"Meena, I'm fine," I repeated.

"This is too dangerous," she said, her eyes focused on my chest.

I reached for her chin and forced her head up. I brushed her lips tenderly with mine.

"Nothing happened to me," I murmured against her mouth. "In fact…I really enjoyed the feeling of your teeth on my skin."

"Nate, if something ever-"

"Meena, we were made to be together this way."

"But I-"

"Shh…" I said, quieting her with my mouth again. My lips parted hers, my tongue entering her mouth. Meena sat unresponsive in my lap. I moved my hand so that it cupped her one breast. She groaned in defeat before relaxing against me.

I reached for the bottom of her shirt before lifting it off her head. I sat back for a minute to admire her bra-covered breasts. Reaching up with slightly shaking hands, I cupped both globes before letting my fingers slide under the straps. I moved my hands to her shoulders, and with a little push, both straps fell down her arms. My hands went around her back and unlatched her bra. The flimsy material fell away.

I pulled her to me and felt her nakedness against my chest for the first time. We both shuddered at the sensation. I reached over and opened the door, before pushing her so that she was flat on the seat cushion with me over her, our feet sticking out the door. I rested my arms on either side of her, my legs settling between her thighs.

Carefully lowering myself, my chest pressed firmly against her breasts again, our lower halves meeting. Meena threw her head back as I thrust against her. Her legs wrapped around my back, her feet pushing me even harder against her. I bent down to kiss her neck, sucking on the skin there. We began a wild dance of grinding against each other. Our most sensitive areas were fighting against the barriers of our clothes to join together. The friction began to build as our pace became frantic. The car began to sway back and forth in time with our movements.

"Nate," Meena screamed. "I think I'm going to-"

She didn't finish her sentence as her back arched and her eyes rolled in her head. The scent of her arousal slammed into me and I felt myself begin to lose control. I reached for the button of my jeans. I lost all conscious thought and will at that point. The wolf began to take over.

_Need to join my body to hers. Need to mate._

A growl erupted from me as my suddenly shaking hands had trouble unbuttoning my pants. I felt Meena freeze which was enough to finally snap me back to reality. She was looking at me with wide, startled eyes. Jerking away, I jumped out of the car and ran until I was away from her intoxicating scent.

What the fuck was I doing? I had never felt so out of control before. What if I'd hurt her? That thought was enough to kill any desire I had. I stopped running and hunched over, putting my hands on my knees. Never in my life had I ever experienced the heady sensations that I had just felt. Truth be told, I was terrified by my reaction. Would I have been able to stop if I stayed in that car…even if Meena asked me to?

I took a deep breath in order to calm myself. When I knew I wasn't about to phase or worse, force myself on Meena, I headed back to my car, hoping that she was still there.

She was. She also looked like she was about to cry. If I caused that expression, I'd never forgive myself.

"Meena, I'm so sorry," I told her, sitting next to her on the backseat.

"I'm not upset because of what just happened."

"What's wrong then?" I asked, feeling perplexed.

Meena bit her lip softly before confessing, "I was just thinking of my brother."

Out of all the possibilities, I never thought she'd say that.

"Why?" I wondered in confusion.

"I was thinking about something that happened to him. H-He let his hormones make decisions for him when it came to this woman he liked and he ended up getting really hurt."

Meena looked at me with scared eyes. "I want you, Nate. I want for us to be as close as intimately possible. I wanted to have sex with you just now. But I'm scared. I don't want to be ruled by my hormones. I'm technically 12, but physically 17. While people go through p-puberty over several years, I get it all at once. I get triple the amount of hormones that everyone else experiences."

Her face turned bright red but she continued.

"It…it's so easy for me to lose myself in the moment and get out of control."

I sighed and confessed. "I feel that way too. That's why I ran. I thought I was going to lose control with you."

Meena cupped my face. "I figured that's what happened. What we have is so intense. Do you think that's normal?"

"I don't know," I told her honestly before I asked worriedly, "Meena, what if I hurt you? What if I couldn't stop?"

She covered my mouth with her hand. "Nate, I don't want you to ever worry about hurting me. I'm not exactly human, you know? I won't break if you get a little r-rough. Besides, you couldn't hurt me. I'm your imprint. What hurts me, hurts you, remember? If you hadn't stopped, it would have been because I didn't want you too. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever say no to you."

I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against hers. "Don't tempt me, woman."

I heard Meena giggle, but I sensed there was more on her mind.

"What else?" I asked, pulling away. "I know there's something else you want to say."

Meena nodded. "Well…it's just that I…I want to experience other things first before I have sex."

I gave her a half smile. I knew where she was going with this.

"You want romance first…dating, the boyfriend/girlfriend thing…the works, right?" I asked.

"I'm being stupid," Meena murmured. "I'm your imprint. Like you said, we're _supposed _to be together this way."

I frowned at her. "Meena, this isn't about sex. I want to be with you, not just intimately, but emotionally and…I just want to be around you. I want it all. What we were doing is just a small portion of what our relationship is supposed to be about."

When she looked up at me with regret-filled eyes, I kissed her forehead and continued.

"I want you to have it all too, so we're going to do this right. No more of this," I stated determinedly, picking up her bra and handing it to her. "I said before that we'd take it slow and I meant it. We're going to do everything properly. To use one of my dad's expressions, I'm going to woo you."

"I didn't mean-"

"Meena, we have years for everything else. I think we should spend some time together…you know…and see if we can resist jumping each other," I teased, but a part of me was very serious. I wanted to have better control over myself the next time we tried anything intimate.

"So…no more making out in the car?" She asked, even though her face was flushed.

I snorted. "Hell, I'm not a saint. I can't _not_ kiss you. But we'll hold off on sex and get to know one another a little better. We'll just have to be careful not to let things get this far again. If we ever _do it_, it's going to be because we're ready and not because of crazy hormones…on either of our ends."

Meena leaned forward and kissed my chin. "Thank you, Nate."

"You're welcome," I replied, brushing my lips against hers. "C'mon, I should take you home."

We got the rest of our clothes back on and I drove Meena back to her house. We sat in her driveway for a moment, before Meena moved close to me and kissed me on the lips.

"Thanks for a great first date," she said, pulling back with a smile.

"This wasn't our first date," I protested.

"We had pizza and a movie…that's a date," Meena replied smugly. "And it was perfect."

I looked at the happiness on her face and grinned. "Well, if it was perfect, who am I to disagree with you."

"Exactly," Meena returned, kissing me one more time before getting out of the car and heading inside her house.

I drove back to my home in a euphoric daze. The day had started off horribly. I thought I had lost any chance with my Meena. It ended with our official first date and some major making out. Best yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew Meena was right. I wouldn't have physically hurt her. I couldn't have.

I pulled into the driveway of my house and got out of the car. As I walked up to the front door, I began to whistle contentedly. I was inside, walking towards the stairs to go up to my room, when my mother called out to me.

"Nate, I want to talk to you for a minute."

"What's up?" I asked, walking into the kitchen. My mom was kneading dough for some homemade pizza. She eyed me suspiciously, her eyes running briefly over me.

"I understand," she began, "given the circumstances of this past weekend that you needed to leave school early today due to sheer exhaustion. That said, I don't want you to think you can just skip school whenever you want some private time with Meena. You have the weekends for that."

"That wasn't why-"

"I know," my mom interrupted. "I didn't want you going to school period today because you were too tired, but I know what it's like trying to resist your imprint. Especially when you think they may be upset about something. But if you need to leave school early again, I'd appreciate a call first. No more putting Rafe in the position of excusing you."

How my mom found out about that was beyond me, but she had better sources for information than the CIA.

"Okay, Mom," I agreed to her terms.

"Good," she said, brushing off the flour on her hands with a towel that was hanging on the handle of the stove. "So I take it that things went well with Meena?"

"Yeah…thanks for calling her yesterday and letting her know about Jason phasing."

"It wasn't a problem. I knew she was worried." My mom eyed me again. "You two are being careful, right?"

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently. My mother raised an eyebrow.

"Do I really need to have the talk with you about the birds and the bees? I thought your father explained that stuff to you years ago."

"Jeez Mom, we're not having sex," I said guiltily, my face flaming. We weren't for the foreseeable future anyway.

"Really? What took you so long to drop her off? Some heavy kissing?"

"You know," I muttered. "I'd really prefer not to talk about this with you."

"Hey, I know what it's like to be young and in love. I wasn't always decrepit, you know? Your father and I used to-"

"Please stop," I begged and she laughed.

"All right, just promise me you'll be careful if you two ever decide to have sex. I'm not sure if condoms will work with Meena given that she's venomous and-"

"If I promise to do the dishes for the next two weeks, will you not talk about this anymore?" I pleaded, my face getting even hotter.

"Just be safe." My mom got in one more shot.

"We're not doing anything together that would require us to have to _be_ safe," I said firmly.

My mother gave me a knowing look. "If you say so."

"I do."

"All right then," she shrugged. "Why don't you go upstairs and take a nap before dinner."

"That sounds like a good idea," I replied, eager to get out of the kitchen and my mother's safe sex talk.

I was at the foot of the stairs when my mom called out, "Hey Nate?"

I cringed but answered, "Yeah?"

"Your shirt is inside out. You might want to fix that before dinner."

Mortified, I headed up the stairs and went into my room, turning my shirt the right way as I walked. I didn't know why I bothered hiding anything from my mom.

The CIA had nothing on her.

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**End Note**

The next chapter was going to be another Nate's POV, but I know a lot of you are wondering about Gracie and Gabe, so I'm going to leave the next chapter's POV up to you guys. Let me know who you want to hear from next, Gabe, Gracie…or maybe I can even do a Ryan's POV, since I know quite a few of you have been wondering what he's been up to (if I wrote Ryan, it will be his life in D.C.). Tell me who you want and I'll write it. Oh, and please review. ;)


	10. What Happens In Vegas

A/N – First off, huge thanks to my beta, Dazzled~by~Jake for getting this back to me the same day I sent it. You're awesome Dazzy! To liljenrocks, happy birthday!

Also, I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you who left me a review on the last chapter. I was just shy of hitting 100 reviews, which is something I never thought imaginable! I can't even begin to express how much your feedback means to me and how grateful I am to those of you who have shown your support for my stories by leaving comments. Comments are what keep authors motivated and I really appreciate you taking a minute to leave feedback. *hugs*

Regarding this chapter, the following POV was chosen by you guys by quite a large margin. I went back in the timeline a few days to show you what the rest of Nate's pack was up to the weekend Nate stood Meena up for their first date. Seth and Azra took Brady to Las Vegas for his birthday. There, they met up with their good friend, Ryan. So here you go…Ryan's POV…

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_I am not merry; but I do beguile, the thing I am by seeming otherwise.  
_

_William Shakespeare_

_Othello the Moor of Venice_

**Chapter 10 – What Happens In Vegas**

_November 14-17, 2025_

Ryan's POV

It started with a phone call…

"_Get your ass out there," Azra ordered. _

"_I don't know," I hesitated. _

"_It's Brady's birthday and none of us have seen you in over two years." Azra pointed out._

_I rubbed the spot between my eyebrows, trying to relieve some of the tension I was feeling. It was true that I hadn't had much contact with the pack since the night of Quil's wedding, but I'd talked to Azra and Nate quite a bit on the phone since I left La Push. And I had gone to visit Embry for advice a couple of months ago when he was living in Maine. I still wasn't sure if that had been a good idea or not. Embry hadn't told me anything I didn't already know. He told me to stop being a pussy and go back to my imprint. Problem was, my imprint was perfectly content without me. _

"_I just don't think I can make it this weekend," I finally said. "I've got a meeting with Senator Haskell and then I'm taking my girlfriend out for-"_

"_Ryan, you don't give a shit about that girl. Why are you wasting your time with her?" _

_That was one of the best and worst things about Azra. He was a quiet, retrospective kind of guy who normally kept out of other people's business. But he also knew when to cut through the bullshit. It was one of the reasons we'd been best friends since we first started phasing._

"_I'm just really busy right now," I answered. "I'm going to present several key measures to the senator that will improve conditions on reservations in several states and-"_

"_How about this…" Azra interrupted again. "If you don't come, I'm not going to give you anymore updates on Gracie." _

_Bastard! He knew exactly where to punch and how hard._

_I sighed. "When are you guys getting in?" _

"_Friday. We're staying at the Bellagio."_

And that was how I found myself on a plane heading to Vegas. I shifted nervously in my seat. I wasn't sure why I felt so uneasy about this trip. Perhaps I was afraid of the reaction I would receive from my other pack brothers. Last time I saw Seth, I had been forcing myself on my young imprint right in front of him.

I turned my head to stare out the small plane window, trying my damndest to block out the memory of that night. It had haunted me for too long. The events leading up to my kissing Gracie had been unavoidable.

I never understood why Gracie rejected me the way she did after she found out I was a wolf. I'd never felt ashamed to be a part of the pack. In fact, I'd always felt really proud. It brought me friends…and it brought me my imprint.

I was barely 11 when I phased the first time. When I was 15, my dad was offered a cushy job in D.C. working for the government. My family moved right around the time Emily became pregnant with Gracie. I lived a full, happy life in D.C. But the whole time I was away from La Push, I missed the pack. I continued to phase while I was away, sneaking off at night and finding a quiet place to change into my wolf form. Usually Sam or one of my other brothers was around and I could talk to them. I used to see images of Gracie in Sam's head. I thought she was a cute kid. I was fascinated by the thoughts Sam shared, but I didn't feel that deep abiding connection to her.

Then after I turned 18, I decided to head back to La Push. I wanted to be with my pack brothers again. I missed the wilderness of the Pacific coast. I'd arrived just in time to attend Jacob and Nessie Black's wedding reception. I went to say hi to Sam and his family and that was when I saw her for the first time in person…my Grace.

No one and nothing mattered to me after that. Even at three-years-old, Gracie had me wrapped around her little finger. I settled back into pack life and moved in with two other wolves, Tristen Hobucket and Azra. We dubbed our apartment "The Bachelor Pad." Tristen had women in and out of his room all the time, though he quickly settled down after he met his wife, Charlotte. She wasn't his imprint, but Tristen adored her.

As for me, I never glanced at another woman after I laid eyes on Gracie that first time. Not that I would have seen them anyway. Women were blurry to imprinted wolves unless they were in pain, a part of the wolf such as their child or imprint, or a fellow wolf like Leah Clearwater. Even if I could see women, it wouldn't have mattered. No woman or child could compare to Gracie. I watched her go from a toddler to happy yet rebellious adolescent to the typical angry teen.

For as long as I could remember, Gracie liked to push buttons, especially Sam's. No two people were more similar in personality. They loved each other…there was no question about that, but they butted heads more often than not.

The one person Gracie always turned to after one of her many altercations with her dad was me. She always knew that she could come to me and I'd do anything within my power to make her happy. I adored Gracie and she had always seemed to feel the exact same way about me. Which is why it practically killed me when she rejected me the day she learned I was a wolf.

When I think back to that day, I can't think of anything I could have done differently. I'd had to phase in front of her to stop Nate from attacking his dad. Nate had just changed for the first time into a wolf and he had been so scared and out of it, he lunged for his dad who was still an acting Alpha. I'd phased to protect not only Sam, but Gracie and Emily who were nearby. And after it was all said and done, Gracie wouldn't even look at me.

I understood that she was scared from what she had witnessed that day. I tried to give her space, thinking that would help. It didn't. She just distanced herself more from me.

What finally made everything come to a head was Gabriel fucking Black. Gracie and I had both been in Quil's wedding party. We'd been paired together and for the first time in months, Gracie had smiled and spoken to me just like she used to. What had shocked me was how beautiful she looked that night. For the first time, I saw her not as a child, but as a girl on the threshold of womanhood. When we danced together at the reception, I'd told her how beautiful she was. She had blushed in my arms and had looked at me in a way that made my heart pound inappropriately. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one who noticed how amazing she looked.

Gabriel Black arrived at the reception and Gracie forgot my very existence. I think that was what finally caused me to kiss her like I did. I saw her flirt with Black, who was an even bigger freak than me. Then she turned around, called me a monster, and I'd fucking lost it.

I closed my eyes tiredly and leaned my head against the airplane window. I wish I could take back what I did that night. I still can't figure out what finally pushed me over the edge. I think it was a combination of things. I had been hurt by Gracie's continuous rejection, fearful that she'd never accept me back in her life, jealous over her ease with Gabriel, and furious at her for pushing me away for something I couldn't help. I ended up just snapping. I dragged her to me and forced my lips on hers. I'd heard her whimper, but I had been driven momentarily insane at that point. I wanted to hurt her for hurting me. More importantly, I wanted to finally reach her. I wanted her to acknowledge me and see that I was a living, breathing, human being. I wanted her to care for me again.

And somewhere in the middle of the kiss, it changed. For a split second, Gracie had stopped resisting my hold on her, and I had stopped trying to punish her. In my arms, she stopped being my imprint who I'd protected and watched over for so many years. She suddenly became something new…something womanly. I'd been about to pull her against my body when Nate Alpha ordered me off his sister. When I pulled away, Gracie was bleeding, her expression broken.

That was the last image I had of Gracie. I left for D.C. first thing the next morning. It had been a strange flight. When Gracie first learned that I was a wolf, she had rejected me so completely that all women suddenly became in focus to me for the first time since I imprinted. Yet, when I was on the flight, all women went out of focus again and I had felt such a crippling pain in my chest that I had to put my head on my knees for a majority of the flight. The pull I'd always felt for Gracie had kept yanking sharply at the base of my spine, tugging me back in the direction of La Push. As soon as we landed, I'd immediately called Nate. He had told me that Gracie had found out I'd left and hadn't taken the news well. I had been filled with so much hope that I booked a plane ticket to return home.

It was while I was waiting for my plane that the pain went away and women around me came back into focus. I instinctively knew that if I returned, Gracie would reject me again, perhaps worse than before. It was pathetic to admit, but I knew I wasn't strong enough to handle her rejection a second time. So I headed to my family home in D.C. instead of hopping back on the plane to La Push.

I knew Gracie and I needed space from each other. She needed time to heal from my assault…and I needed to learn to control myself if I ever saw her again. I couldn't trust myself around my imprint anymore. After we kissed, I knew I'd always want more, but Gracie was only 14 at the time. Neither of us were ready to take the next phase in our imprint…the shift from best friends to lovers. I figured the best thing I could do for Grace was to give her time. She needed to grow up; get used to the pack without me hovering nearby. I thought I was doing what was best for my imprint.

What I didn't expect was that Gracie would veer so far off course. I had been well informed over the years of Gracie's actions. I knew that she got busted for drinking on numerous occasions and was into drugs. I also knew that she had a boyfriend who she was sleeping with.

I felt my jaw clench at that thought. I couldn't and wouldn't judge her for having sex with someone else. I wasn't a virgin before I imprinted. Hell, I wasn't even faithful to Gracie now. I'd been sleeping with my current girlfriend for months. But I was enough of a hypocrite to acknowledge that I hated the idea of any other man touching Gracie but me.

I think what killed me even more was knowing that Gabriel Black was in La Push. If it wasn't bad enough that she had a boyfriend, I now had to worry about her relationship with Gabe. I had been told that they were getting closer. To say that I was concerned was an understatement.

While Gracie was dating her boyfriend, I had felt a growing need to return to La Push. Sometimes women would float between blurriness and clarity. I'd looked at it as a sign that maybe it was time to return to home. I was eager to go home. I'd felt restless the entire time I was away. Then Gabriel Black moved to the area, and I felt a numbness that I'd never felt before. I knew he was the reason. He was making Gracie so happy that she didn't miss me anymore. She didn't long for me and that pretty much severed our connection. I loved Gracie enough to want her to be happy. We are what are imprints need us to be. If Gracie needed me to be a long distant stranger, then I had no choice but to abide.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we'll be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts at this time and push your tray tables into the upright position. Thank you for flying with us." A voice announced in the speaker above my head.

I did as instructed and waited nervously for the plane to touch down. Once we landed safely, I made my way down the terminal and headed towards the baggage claim area. I had just grabbed my bag when I picked up a familiar scent.

"Well, well, well, look what the wolf dragged in."

A smile broke out on my face as I turned and hugged Azra.

"It's good to see you, man," I said, slapping his back.

"You too," Azra said, stepping away from me. He inspected my face carefully. "You look like shit, Ry."

I laughed. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

Azra shook his head, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone.

"I figured after I blackmailed you into coming out here, you deserved a reward," he told me, handing me his phone.

My heart went into overdrive as I stared at the snapshot he had taken of Gracie. It was somewhat grainy and taken from a distance, but there was no mistaking her.

"She looks different," I replied, staring at the hypnotically beautiful woman on the screen. "She looks older."

"Yeah, Gracie's something, that's for sure," Azra chuckled.

"What do you mean?" I asked, instantly on alert.

"She's just Gracie…the rebel without a cause," he replied wryly.

I looked down at her picture on the phone again, unable to look away. "She's happy though, right?"

Azra hesitated before answering, "Yeah, she seems happy enough."

"Because of Gabriel Black," I stated.

Azra shrugged. "I don't know what's going on with them, Ry. I just know that she's not smoking anymore and…"

"What?" My eyes whipped back to his face.

"She broke up with her boyfriend a few days ago. She didn't seem upset about it either."

I snapped Azra's phone shut and handed it back to him. If she broke up with him, it was most likely because of Gabe.

"Does Gabriel know that Gracie's my imprint?" I asked, trying to keep the note of possession out of my voice.

Azra frowned, looking at his phone for a minute before putting it back in his pocket.

"I think so. I don't really socialize with the guy. He's our Alpha's enemy, so we don't really hang with him, you know? From what Jacob's told me though, Gabe's aware of the fact that Gracie's been imprinted on. Did you know that Jake's working with me at Quil and Seth's garage again?"

I shook my head, before switching the conversation back on topic. "Did Gracie break up with her boyfriend to be with Gabe?"

Azra sighed. "I don't know, Ry. Why don't you come back to La Push and find out for yourself?"

I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and began walking. "It's not that simple. I've got my job in D.C. I'm committed to seeing the project I'm working on through. Besides, if Gracie is happy who am I to interfere with that?"

"I thought you were her soul mate," Azra replied matter-of-factually.

"I'm whatever she wants me to be. And she obviously doesn't want me in her life."

Azra just looked at me for a moment, his eyes assessing, before he shook his head. "Why don't we just forget about the imprint problems of the world and have a good time this weekend?"

He said it with an underlining bitterness that I didn't understand.

"Everything okay with you?" I asked.

"Just peachy. Isn't it always?" Azra remarked, looking suddenly tired.

"So what's been going on with you lately?" I questioned.

"Same old, same old. I work at the garage, I come home, then I patrol at night. What a life, huh?"

"You involved with anyone?" I wondered. Azra had always been a loner. I knew he was no virgin, but if he ever dated anyone, he kept it very private.

"Not right now," he replied before switching the subject. "Did you know that Tristen and Charlotte were talking about adopting?"

"No," I answered as we walked into the warm night air. Charlotte and Tristen had struggled for years to get pregnant, before they found out Charlotte wasn't able to conceive.

"Yeah, they might do one of those international adoptions. They're looking into it," Azra told me.

We finally found a cab and headed towards the Bellagio. My leg began to shake as I bounced it up and down. Azra reached over and smacked my knee before looking at me.

"Why are you so uptight?"

I shook my head. "I'm just nervous, I guess."

"About?"

I met his eyes before quickly looking away. "How I left La Push."

"Ah," Azra said, leaning back in his seat. "Don't worry. Everyone's excited to see you."

Once we got to the hotel, we headed straight for our room. The guys had arrived early that morning, and from what Azra told me had already partaken of the hotel room beverages. When I entered the room, I didn't expect to see the sight before my eyes. Seth had Brady pinned to the floor.

"You're not going to call them," Seth ordered.

"I just want to see if Kayley is okay," Brady barked.

"What do you think is going to happen to her? She's a two-year-old in pull-ups, Brady. The biggest issue Kayley might have right now is if she poops herself."

"What if she misses me?" Brady whined.

"She'll probably enjoy the vacation from you," Seth replied snidely.

"Do you boys need a minute?" Azra snickered.

Both guys turned their heads and looked at us. Seth immediately jumped to his feet and came over to me, wrapping me in a huge bear hug.

"Ryan! I didn't think Az would be able to talk you into coming."

"What can I say?" I joked as we broke apart. "He made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

"Hey man," Brady came over to me and patted me on the back.

"So, what's up with you guys?" I asked, feeling awkward.

Brady looked at Seth maliciously. "Seth is sleeping with a high school student. Jared's daughter, Hayley."

"I'm not sleeping with her," Seth immediately defended. "It's not like that."

"You're involved with Jared's daughter? How does he feel about that?" I questioned, trying to remember Hayley. From what I could remember, she was a cute girl.

Brady snorted. "He keeps threatening to shoot Seth."

"I should fire your ungrateful ass," Seth muttered. Brady worked at Seth and Quil's garage along with Azra.

"Nah, Quil wouldn't let you," Brady reminded him.

"Speaking of," Seth replied, looking suspiciously at Brady. "What'd you do with your cell phone? Quil said he wanted to see if you could make it the weekend without calling his daughter."

"I don't know what I ever did to him," Brady whimpered. "He should understand what it's like to be away from your imprint."

"He also knows that you need to let Kayley grow up without you always by her side. What will you do if she goes away to college? You can't follow her all over the place."

Brady looked sickened by the idea. He sat on his bed and sighed in defeat.

"So, uh…" I said, trying to think of something to say. I looked at Seth. "What's it like to date jailbait?"

Azra snickered while Seth glared.

"We're just dating. Nothing too serious right now. I just really like her. She makes me laugh," Seth said stiffly before adding, "She makes me happy."

"Well, then I'm happy for you," I replied honestly. "Just don't sleep with her until she's eighteen, all right?"

"That's the plan," Seth grinned wickedly.

"I think I'm going to need a beer," Azra said.

"Me too," Brady agreed. He kept rubbing the back of his neck, a sign that he was feeling the tug to his imprint. I admired his willpower. I knew it had to be killing him to be away from Kayley.

As if he could read my thoughts, Brady said, "It couldn't hurt to give Quil and Claire a call, right? You know…just to make sure Kayley's doing all right."

"She's fine," Seth replied in exasperation before looking at his watch. "It's now 11 PM. If you call at this time of night and wake Claire up, Quil might phase, run down here, and kill you. Claire's morning sickness is horrible right now."

"So, we should get going, huh?" Azra remarked awkwardly. I frowned at him, but he didn't make eye contact.

"Let me just make sure my phone is charged in case Quil calls," Brady said, pulling out his cell and checking the battery on it.

"Clarie's my cousin," Seth reminded him. "If there's a problem, trust me, we'll be notified."

"All right," Brady finally caved. "Let's get this over with."

"That's the party spirit," Seth grinned and we left for the night.

Around dawn, we stumbled back into our rooms, drunk off our asses, having consumed most of the alcohol in one of the hotel's bars. I hit the bed and was out. Once I woke up, Azra and I went down to the hotel's pool, recovering from our hangovers while wearing the darkest sunglasses we could find. Seth and Brady were both still sleeping in the room.

"You know what I don't understand?" Azra suddenly said next to me as we sat on some loungers. "Why do people imprint if it makes them so miserable?"

I glanced over at him. He was staring off in the direction of the pool's bar. A shirtless man serving drinks looked at Azra and gave him a wink before returning to mixing beverages. Azra turned his head, his cheeks slightly red.

"You have anyone in particular in mind?" I questioned.

"Well…take you for example. Ryan, you really don't look so great. You have dark circles under your eyes and you've aged though I know you're still phasing. If there was a way to break the imprint, would you?"

I laughed. "What? Do you know some voodoo spell you can cast over me to sever my bond to Gracie?"

I snorted at the idea. Azra scowled in response.

"I'm serious," Azra stated, turning his head to look at me behind his dark glasses. "If you could break it, would you?"

I frowned. I felt like I was missing something in this conversation.

Thinking about it, I slowly shook my head. "No, I wouldn't. Even given the current circumstances, being with Gracie…when she was speaking to me that is…was the happiest I've ever been in my life. There's no better feeling than being with your imprint."

"But c'mon, you imprinted on a kid when she was three…like Quil imprinted on Claire. Wouldn't you have rather imprinted on someone else? Maybe someone older?"

I hesitated before answering, "I don't regret imprinting on Gracie at the age she was. The guys who found their imprints while they were both adults missed out on the earlier years. I got to see Gracie grow up. She was a little girl I cherished, then my best friend. I'll always have those moments with her no matter what the future holds for us."

Azra nodded slowly before facing away from me. He was quiet for a moment before he finally sighed. "I'm sure things will work out for you and Gracie. Just like they did with Quil and Claire."

He got up from his chair and dove into the water nearby. I watched in surprise as Azra set a frantic pace, swimming back and forth as though demons were chasing him. Later that night, we went to a club. We lasted five minutes before we decided to get the hell out of there. There were way too many single ladies and none of us were interested in being a one night stand.

We headed out on the strip and somehow made it to another club. Walking in, we stopped and looked around. This place had amazing music, special effects, and was everything you could picture when it came to a hip, big city club. It was also geared for the gay crowd.

We all looked at each other blankly before Seth shouted, "I've got dibs on Brady."

Grabbing his hand, they went out onto the middle of the dance floor and started dancing so horrendously other dancers had to back away. I started laughing so hard that I had to clutch my stomach. Azra smiled before saying he was going to the bar. I trailed after him and watched in amazement as he downed 15 shots of straight tequila.

"You want anything?" Azra asked.

"No, I'm good. I'm still recovering from last night."

Azra turned back to the bar and ordered another round for himself. After 10 more shots, he was pretty much wasted.

"Well, fuck it, let's party like we're in Vegas, baby," he managed to get out before going out in the middle of the dance floor. He started jumping up and down and waving his hands in the air like he was trying to swat flies away.

I leaned against the bar and watched my friends make fools of themselves with a stupid smile on my face. God, how I missed these guys. My heart ached a little. What I wouldn't give to go back to La Push. If only I knew it was the right decision for Gracie.

"You come here often?" A man said next to me.

"No, we're just in town for the weekend," I replied, nodding in the direction of my friends. Seth and Brady had moved off the dance floor and were now buying handfuls of shots from a waiter carrying around a tray. Azra was oblivious to all things around him, including the guy who was freaking on him from behind.

"My name is John," the guy said, sticking out his hand to shake it.

"Ryan," I replied, taking the proffered hand briefly.

"Wow, no offense but your skin is really hot," he said in surprise, quickly letting me go.

"Yeah, we've been hitting the different bars tonight. Lots of walking builds up a sweat," I replied lamely.

John nodded before inspecting me carefully. Smiling regretfully, he said, "This really isn't your scene, is it?"

I laughed. "Not really. I've got a girlfriend back home. We kind of stumbled in here by accident, and since none of us were looking to get lucky tonight, we decided to stay."

"Well, you know what they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," he winked. "Whatever happens here, stays here."

"I guess that's good. Otherwise, my friends will have a lot of explaining to do," I joked as I watched Seth and Brady drunkenly make their way back to the dance floor.

I spent the next few hours talking to John who turned out to be a really cool guy. I decided to leave when Azra came up to me with a startled look in his eyes.

"Uh, can we go?"

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just really wanna get outta here."

"Sure," I said, shaking John's hand one more time before leaving to collect Seth and Brady.

We made it back to the hotel room without further incident. The next morning, I woke up to Azra groaning on the mattress next to me. He dashed off the king size bed and flew into the bathroom. I was soon greeted by the sound of him retching. Laughing, I curled back down into the bed. I looked up as Azra came back into the room, white as a sheet. He was holding a slip of paper in one hand and covering his neck with the other one.

"What the fuck happened last night?" Azra whispered in shock.

"Why?" I wondered, jumping up and ripping the piece of paper out of Azra's hands before he could stop me.

_Call me anytime. Keith._

I chortled. "Keith, eh?"

"Shut the fuck up," Azra said, horrified. He went to grab the paper from my hand, forgetting to cover his neck. I saw a faint mark on his skin that resembled a hickey. I burst out laughing. Considering he was a wolf, his skin should have repaired itself unless there was some major sucking on the flesh going on.

"Why didn't you have my back last night?" Azra snapped angrily.

"Cause apparently someone else did," I snorted.

"You tell anyone about this and I'll kill you," he threatened.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," Seth snickered from beneath his pillow on the bed he was sharing with Brady.

"I hate you guys," Azra muttered before climbing back into bed and throwing the sheet over his head.

For our last night in Vegas, we took it easy. As it was actually Brady's birthday, we gave him his biggest wish. Seth allowed him to call his imprint. From there we caught a show of Cirque de Soleil.

The next morning, I hugged my brothers goodbye and headed to the airport. As my plane took off to return me to my drab life in D.C., I thought about how good it felt to see some of the pack again. In fact, I was happier than I'd been in two years.

I would do anything to go back to La Push. If only Gracie needed me.

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**End Note**

I wanted to let you know that real life is about to interfere with my posting schedule. I have to fly out to Arizona tomorrow to help out a family member and then I'm driving back to Michigan. I was going to hold off on posting this chapter, but I'll be gone for roughly five days and I didn't want to keep you waiting. I usually try to respond to as many of my reviews as I can, but I'm not going to have time to this time around. I hope you still review though because I'll be reading them from the road and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on Azra and Ryan's POV. Thanks everyone!


	11. The In Laws?

A/N – Thank you so much for all your reviews on the previous chapter. I read them from my cell phone while I was on the road. Definitely made me smile! I know some of you had questions, but I wasn't able to respond on my phone and I've been playing catch-up since I got back. If you had a question, please resend and I'll answer it if I can.

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_Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast  
_

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo and Juliet_

**Chapter 11 – The In-Laws?**

_December 5, 2025 – December 7, 2025_

Nate's POV

"You sure you don't want us to go with you?" Mac's son, Jason Pachena, asked. In the few weeks since Jason phased, it had been hard for me to get a moment to myself. He was eager to prove himself worthy of being a wolf. In doing so, he had become my shadow.

"I'll be fine, Jay," I told him and looked at the rest of my pack as we stood outside my parents' house.

Azra was standing by himself looking aloof, which wasn't unusual. Seth and Brady kept glancing at him and snickering. They'd been doing that for the past few weeks since their Vegas trip. They had all managed to miraculously keep their thoughts on that weekend to themselves, but I'd heard whispers of the name "Keith" which always made Az squirm. I figured it was best not to know what happened so I didn't pursue the mystery.

I'd been happy to see one memory they'd shared with me though. Ryan had shown up. He looked sickly, but at least he seemed happy. Switching my thoughts to the task at hand, I walked over to where Devlin was standing.

"Dev's in charge until I get back from Vancouver," I reminded them. "If you guys need me, call me on my cell or if I sense that anything is wrong, I'll phase and check in."

That was one of the bonuses of being Alpha. I had such a strong connection to each member in my pack, I always knew if something wasn't right.

"We'll be fine, Dad," Seth joked. "Tell Edward and the rest of the Cullens I said hi."

"I will," I said, before turning to my parents who were standing near the main entrance of the house.

"Drive safe and call us when you get there," my mom instructed. "And be polite to the Cullens. I don't want them to think we raised an animal."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I am an animal half the time."

"You know what I mean," she replied and I nodded.

My dad hugged me close. "Be careful."

"Always," I answered firmly before pulling away.

Getting into my car, I waved goodbye and put the vehicle into drive. As soon as I was out of view, I let the smile I'd been wearing drop from my face. Truth be told, I was nervous. Meena and I were going to drive up and spend the weekend at the Cullen house. While we were there, we were going to interview Meena's Uncle Jasper for our term paper.

I didn't know how I was going to handle being around a bunch of leeches for an entire weekend. If I married Meena someday, the Cullens would be my family. I was going to have to accept that, but it wasn't easy. Aside from the fact that they'd caused my family insurmountable pain merely by moving to Forks all those years ago, it went against my very nature to allow bloodsuckers to exist.

I'd do it though…for Meena. The past few weeks had been some of the happiest of my life because I got to spend them with her. When I wasn't patrolling or trying to ditch Jason, Meena and I spent every minute we could together, going to the movies, out to dinner, or just hanging out and getting to know each other.

The only thing that really dampened our growing feelings for each other was Gabe. He was distant with Meena. I knew she was hurting from his behavior. A part of me wanted to shake him for causing her pain. But I knew it was better to keep my own distance because if I went near Gabe, I'd attack him.

My anger with him, in fact, was growing to exponential levels. For one, his behavior towards his sister was intolerable. For another, his behavior towards _my_ sister was infuriating. Just as Meena and I had recently grown closer, Gracie and Gabe had become inseparable since she dumped Zack. I'd tried to talk to her about it, but Gracie had told me to stay out of it and that I couldn't choose her friends. Her attitude only helped flame my fury with Gabe. I sometimes felt like I had a keg of dynamite inside me that was just waiting for the opportunity to explode. When it did, who would be left standing?

I frowned at my precarious thoughts as I pulled onto the Black property, but soon relaxed as I felt the familiar tug on my spine become stronger as I got closer to Meena. I parked my car and took a deep breath, letting my senses search the area. Gabe wasn't there.

Feeling relieved, yet pissed that he wasn't there to at least say goodbye to his sister, I got out of my car and headed towards the big white house. Jacob was standing in the doorway waiting for me, his arms crossed over his chest in a way meant for intimidation. It worked a little too. I had too much respect for the former Alpha to not feel a little in awe of him.

"Hey Jacob, how are you?" I asked politely as I approached him.

"Nate, am I going to regret letting my daughter go to Vancouver with you?" He questioned without returning my greeting.

"I hope not," I answered cautiously, not sure what he was getting at.

Jacob eyed me carefully. "Look, I know what it's like to be an imprinted Alpha. Everything you feel is so much stronger than what the other wolves deal with. It's especially harder for you because you imprinted on a girl who's not entirely human and who has an exceeding amount of hormones. I've been there. I sometimes really struggled to be around Ness when she was a teen because she was literally irresistible. Their pheromones draw us in."

I kept my face polite trying not to show that I knew _exactly_ what he was talking about. Something must have shown anyway, because his expression turned glacial.

"What I'm trying to say is that if you knock my baby up, I'll kick your as-"

"Nate, it's good to see you again," Renesmee came out of the house, giving Jake a deadly glare. "Meena will be right down."

I nodded, my eyes still watching Jake carefully. His hands were shaking slightly.

"I won't take advantage of her," I assured him quietly. Jake nodded and relaxed slightly.

"That's a 1970 Chevelle, isn't it?" Ness asked, looking at my car with interest while trying to change the subject to a lighter topic.

"Yeah," I shifted uncomfortably, wondering what was taking Meena so long. I had never been left alone with her parents for so long.

"My Aunt Rosalie is into cars," Ness told me.

"I know," I replied. "Meena told me about her."

Renesmee laughed. "If she asks to see the engine, don't be offended."

"Okay," I nodded uncomfortably.

Ness walked over to me and put her hands on my shoulders. "Breathe, Nate. Relax. My family has sworn to be on their best behavior, including Emmett. You two should have a good time."

I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. I smiled in return. "Thanks Mrs. Black."

"Ness," she automatically corrected before returning to Jacob's side. She looked back at my car. "So is that a V-6 engine?"

"Baby, I love it when you talk dirty," Jacob murmured against her hair, while wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Jake!" She playfully smacked his hand, but looked at him adoringly just the same.

I felt myself oddly touched by their display of affection yet creeped out at the same time. Would Meena and I be like that when we were their age? I snickered silently when I suddenly remembered that Ness was technically only a year older than me. Yet, we seemed worlds apart. She had already been married and raised a family.

My attention was immediately distracted as Meena appeared. She was wearing a lavender long sleeved sweater with jeans and boots. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled into a ponytail. She was dressed simply yet a runway model would have been found lacking compared to her.

"Hi," Meena said, giving me gentle smile.

"Hey." I smiled stupidly in return.

I took the suitcase she was holding and reached out to grab her hand with my other hand. As soon as we made contact, all my uneasiness disappeared. That's how it always was. It didn't matter how upset or tense I felt. If Meena was nearby and I could at least have physical contact, the uncertain feelings went away.

"Meena, you make sure to call us as soon as you get in," Jake said, looking at me and pointing at his eye with his index finger before pointing back at me, as if to say, _I'm watching you_. Ness covered his face with her hand and gave me a look that said, _ignore him_.

Meena, who was fiddling with the strap of her purse, missed the little exchange. "I will, Dad."

"And have fun," Ness instructed, coming over to hug her daughter and then me.

"Thanks Mom, we will." Meena replied.

We got in my car and waved goodbye before pulling out of the driveway. As soon as we were out of sight, I turned off on a side road. I had barely put the car in park, before Meena was reaching for me. Our lips quickly joined together, crashing hard against each other. By the time we pulled away, we were both breathless.

"I'm so sorry for what my father said to you," Meena said, panting still from our exchange. "I can't believe he said you were drawn to my pheromones. I wanted to die."

I snorted. "That's the sexiest part about you…your pheromones."

I nuzzled her neck with my mouth while she giggled, before pressing my lips against her rapidly beating pulse line. Sighing, I pulled back regrettably.

"I guess we should get on the road," I told her. As it was Friday and we had to wait until school was over, we were leaving a little later than I would have preferred.

I put the car back in gear and started to drive again. We talked about our term paper and the different things going on at school over the past week. I couldn't help but notice that she sometimes looked sad, though she was trying to hide it.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked when she sighed quietly.

Meena looked at me as though debating whether to tell me or not. I lifted an eyebrow, indicating that I knew something was wrong and she might as well tell me.

"It's Gabe," she said softly. "I hate that he's so angry all the time anymore."

My hands tightened slightly. "I'm sorry that you're having so much trouble with your brother."

She reached over and grabbed my hand. "I just wish there was a way I could reach him again. I miss him."

I picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "I know you do. I wish I could do something to fix this for you."

Meena smiled sadly, but didn't say anything. There wasn't anything I could do to make things right for her. Unless, I got out of her life, maybe that would fix her relationship with Gabe…but that wasn't an option I could live with. Which reminded me…I pulled the car over to the side of the road again. Meena looked at me questioning.

"Meena, there was something I wanted to ask you," I told her, reaching onto the backseat for my bag. I pulled a small box out and held it in my hand nervously. "I don't know if this is too soon…I mean, we've only been dating a few weeks, but uh…I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend."

Meena's eyes got a little teary. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I said, a little more confidently.

Meena wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close to her face.

"Yes, Nathaniel," she whispered. "I want to be your girlfriend more than anything else in the world."

Our lips caressed gently without the rough passion of earlier, yet when we finally broke away we were both breathless again.

"We have a tradition in the pack," I explained tenderly. "We don't exchange class rings or anything. We give our girlfriends this."

I handed her the box nervously. She opened it and picked up the delicate promise bracelet that I had made for her. She fingered the tiny wooden wolf attached to it.

"It's made of Birchwood. It's light in color like my coat," I explained.

She swallowed before saying, "I love it. Thank you, Nate."

I kissed her again before reaching for the bracelet and tying it on her wrist. I lifted it up and pressed the wolf against her skin with my mouth so that it left a tiny imprint on her skin. I looked at the small indention possessively.

"Mine now," I whispered.

"Yes," she murmured, leaning in so that our lips could meet again. My tongue darted into her mouth to taste the sweet tanginess there. Meena moaned as our kiss deepened. Things were starting to spin past the breaking point. With more strength than I knew I possessed, I broke away and rested my forehead against hers.

"We need to get going," I said softly.

"Okay." Meena sighed, before teasingly adding, "Take me to my family's house, boyfriend."

"You wish is my command, girlfriend." I grinned widely at her.

For the rest of the journey, Meena was in a much better mood. She kept touching her bracelet and running her fingers along the wolf. Every time she did, I'd find myself smiling idiotically.

We reached Vancouver after 11 PM. Meena gave me directions to the Cullens' house. I knew we were close when we got within a couple of miles. The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up and my nose started to burn slightly. By the time we pulled onto the property I felt like I had snorted fire.

The house was fashioned in the style of a log cabin, but it was ten times bigger than the typical rustic structure. Surrounded by forest, it blended perfectly with the environment. Looking around, I observed with my heightened senses that there was a mountain range not even a mile away. I would have been awestruck by the beauty of the area if it hadn't been for the fact that I was in physical pain. The stench of bloodsuckers was making my nose sting unbearably, causing my hands to tremble against their will.

"We're here," Meena said excitedly. She jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped moving. The front door opened and several individuals came flying out and encircled her. I started breathing through my mouth, trying to lessen the pain. I gripped the steering wheel so hard, it snapped clean off.

"Fuck!" I muttered, which caused nine people to look at me with varying expressions of disgust, concern, and amusement.

"Looks like I'm going to have to fix the dog's car before he leaves," a female leech with long blond hair remarked with derision.

"Rose, don't aggravate him. He's trying hard not to phase on us right now," one of the male leeches replied. I could tell even in the dark that he had bronze hair. This must be Edward, Meena's grandfather. He nodded, confirming my thoughts. Shit! My father had warned me he could read minds. He smiled at me knowingly. Meena looked at me with concern before walking over to me.

"Meena, don't," another female warned. This one had long dark hair and looked to be about 19.

"It's okay, Grandmother. He won't hurt me," she said confidently.

"Meena, stop," I begged. "Listen to your family."

She ignored me and opened my door. Meena leaned down and placed her hands against my cheeks, bringing her face close to mine. Her wildflower scent began to surround me soothingly.

"You're okay," Meena said in a calming tone. Her fingers ran across my cheekbones and I felt myself relax. She pulled back slightly and held out her hand. I took it without hesitation and got out of the car. We walked slowly towards her waiting family.

"It helps to breathe through your mouth," Edward told me. "Jake's pack had to do the same thing until they became desensitized to our scent."

"And vice versa," the blond female looked at me, disgust evident on her face.

Meena looked worriedly between her family and me. This was obviously not going as smoothly as she'd hoped.

"Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Nate Uley," Meena said, somewhat nervously.

"Boyfriend?" The smallest of the group, a female with short dark hair, shrieked.

Meena lifted up her hand to show off my gift. I heard Edward grumble, "another bracelet,"before he pulled Meena's grandmother possessively to him. The pixie vampire ran over to hug Meena. The blond male behind her eyed me carefully. I immediately took a step away from the girls, so I wouldn't have to feel the cold skin of the leech as she embraced Meena. I didn't want it to trigger me to phase.

"Nate, this is my Aunt Alice and her husband, Jasper," Meena said, looking first at the vampire she was still hugging then at the bloodsucker behind her.

I noticed the scars all over Jasper's face. I moved instinctively closer to my imprint. This vampire was a warrior. I needed to make sure Meena was safe. I completely forgot that this was the blood drinker we had driven up here to meet. I wasn't even thinking as a person anymore. The wolf inside sensed the potential threat to my mate. I ripped Meena away from the small vampire and placed her protectively behind me before crouching down. The warrior leech did the same with his mate. A warning growl began to rumble low in my chest. The entire family tensed.

"Jasper's no threat to Meena, Nathaniel," Edward spoke quietly.

"Is that what he thinks?" I heard Meena ask behind me.

Their conversation barely registered, but Meena's voice managed to permeate my brain, calming down my inner wolf. I slowly straightened and immediately felt embarrassed. I turned to her, expecting to see her anger and disappointment. Instead, I only saw concern.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's okay," she murmured back, placing her hand against my cheek. It was like a balm to a wound. I felt my remaining tension drain away. I pulled her hand from my cheek and held it in mine comfortingly. I turned to look at her family, filled with shame.

"I'm really sorry about that," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it. We'd do the same thing if faced with an unknown threat," a different man said. This one was blond and had an authority about him the others lacked. He looked to be in his early to mid-20s and had a faint British accent.

"I'm Carlisle," he introduced himself before turning to the woman next to him. "This is my wife, Esme. And our children, Rosalie, Emmett, and you met Jasper, Alice, and Edward. And this is Meena's grandmother, Bella."

"Hi," I said, still feeling like a complete dick.

Edward chuckled. "Don't worry. We won't hold it against you."

"Why don't we go inside?" Esme offered. "I'm sure you're tired after your journey. We have food for you."

I nodded and we headed in. Meena and I both called our parents to let them know we arrived safely. After I got off the phone, I went into the living room and sat close to Meena on the couch. Esme handed me two sandwiches which I swallowed down, trying to ignore the painful smell that accompanied them. I didn't want to eat anything. I just wanted to get out of there.

But whenever I felt the urge to leave, I looked over at Meena's face. She was more relaxed and happy than I'd ever seen her. For her, I would sacrifice anything. Edward smiled as he read my thoughts. God, that was invasive. Edward laughed softly, but when Bella looked at him questioningly, he just shook his head.

After an hour, I couldn't take the stench anymore. I thought I was going to pass out from the pain of it and I couldn't allow myself the luxury of darkness. From everything I knew of Emmett, I'd never hear the end of it if I fainted. I didn't want to give him an excuse to taunt me if I had to spend an eternity with the guy.

"You can use the backdoor entrance," Edward said, pointing in the direction I needed even before I said anything.

I hurried outside and ran as fast as I could from the property. As soon as I was a distance away, I stripped and phased. Luckily, the wolf I wanted to speak to was on patrol.

_Hey man, how's it going? _Seth asked.

_I don't know if I can do this_, I told him honestly. I went over how I almost lost it with Jasper.

_You're doing fine_, Seth assured me. _You didn't phase and that's the most important thing._

I could feel Seth's humor so I asked, _What?_

That would have been an interesting fight…you and Jasper. Jasper's fought in more battles than any of us combined, but you've got that whole Alpha power working for you. You're stronger than your dad and Jake put together.

I sighed, _Well, hopefully I won't ever have to find out who'd win._

I sensed someone coming towards me. Sniffing the air, I knew it was Meena. I immediately went into the Alpha part of my brain where no other wolves could hear me.

"Hey," Meena said, appearing next to me. She reached up and petted my coat, before wrapping her arms around my neck and burying her face into my fur. I moved back slightly so that I could lie on the ground. She followed me, resting her cheek against my back and continued to stroke my neck.

"I'm sorry this is so tough for you, Nate. I didn't think about how painful it would be for you," she said sorrowfully. "If you want to leave, we can."

I immediately shook my head. I was going to get through this weekend or die trying.

"Will you promise to tell me if it becomes too much for you then?"

I nodded.

"Good," she said with a sigh. "No one will think less of you if you need to bolt."

I got up from my spot. She looked at me in surprise, but I moved quickly behind a tree and phased back, pulling on my clothes before I returned to her side.

"I need to do this," I told her. "I plan on being with you for a long time, Meena. I need to get myself accustomed to your family."

Meena smiled up at me. "Thank you, Nate."

I bent down and kissed her. It started off innocent enough. Before I knew it, Meena was plastered against a tree with her legs wrapped against my waist. I nibbled at her chin, before moving my mouth to suck on the gentle shell of her earlobe.

"Nate," Meena moaned, thrusting against my hardening erection. I wanted nothing more than to strip away the clothes blocking our final connection and bury myself in her.

"Damn pheromones," I growled.

Meena giggled but it turned into a sigh as my tongue traced her ear. I found that my willpower was quickly failing. My inner wolf started to growl impatiently as my body urged me to mate. Losing it, I moved slightly away so that my hand could move between us. Bending my head to suck on her neck, my questing hand moved to her stomach before going underneath the waistband of her jeans. I soon reached the barrier of her panties and let my hand sink under them. We had never gone this far. I didn't think I could stop.

"Nate," Meena murmured, her breathing heavy. She managed to widen her legs slightly even though they were still wrapped around my waist as my fingers got closer to her dewy warmth. Almost there…

"Cough," a male voice said, causing us to jump apart. "Cough, cough."

I shook slightly in fury and frustration as Emmett appeared.

"Hey Meens, I don't mean to interrupt you two when you're getting your freak on, but your grandparents promised your parents that you'd be on your best behavior. We don't want another Gabe incidence, right?"

I was still feeling slightly crazed. The wolf inside was screaming at my more human instinct. He wanted me to lash out at the vampire who had interrupted us. The human more logical part was grateful that I hadn't slipped and taken Meena's virginity against a tree on her family's property.

"Sorry Uncle Emmett," Meena said abashedly. "We'll head right to the house."

He looked knowingly at me. Meena grabbed my hand and the infuriated wolf was quickly calmed. Sighing, I squeezed her hand gently and we walked slowly back to the house with our stupid lug of a chaperon in tow. The closer we got to the home, the better I felt about myself. I'd been furious with Emmett and I hadn't phased. I had made it this far without attacking someone. I knew I could get through the weekend. I just had to remain strong.

When we got back, I was told that I'd be sleeping in a secluded part of the house where the smell of vampire wasn't as strong. I was also far away from Meena. I didn't like it, but I understood. We were under the watchful eye of her family. I got ready for bed and then spent the next hour tossing and turning. I couldn't get comfortable and my nose kept stinging.

I grabbed my pillow and was pounding it into a more comfortable shape when I heard someone approach my door. I sat up feeling tense, but instantly relaxed when Meena poked her head in my room.

"You can't sleep, huh?" She asked, entering the room and closing the door behind her. I took in her pajamas. She was wearing a pink tank top with silk Capri pants that had hearts all over them. She looked adorable.

"Not really," I responded, pinching my nose. Meena hesitated before walking over to the bed and climbing on it.

"Scoot over," she ordered. I did as she instructed, feeling confused until she laid down next to me, throwing an arm over my waist and resting her head on my chest. I breathed in her scented hair in relief.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"I'm helping you sleep," she murmured before yawning.

"Won't your family object?" Especially as I was pretty positive that Edward had read in all of our minds what Meena and I had been up to in the woods.

"No," she said tiredly. "For one thing, they don't sleep so they'll know if we aren't on our best behavior…"

I heard a chuckle from somewhere in the house.

"See…" Meena remarked smugly. "For another, my grandfather used to sneak into my grandmother's room when she was still human and would spend all night with her. It'd be hypocritical if they said I couldn't do the same thing."

This time the laugh turned into a cough.

"Well…" I said slowly before bringing Meena even closer to me. "I'm certainly not going to object then."

I tenderly pushed back a stray hair before asking, "So what did Emmett mean when he said 'the Gabe incidence?'"

Meena frowned and looked sad for a moment. "Can I tell you about it some other time?"

"Yeah," I returned, kissing the tip of her nose before cuddling her even closer.

That night, I slept in a leech-filled home and got one of the best night's sleep I'd ever had in my life. The next morning, Meena and I grabbed our school bags and met with Jasper for our term paper.

We met him in the library. Meena and I sat on a dark brown leather couch while Jasper sat across from us in a green plushy chair. I tried to relax, but I felt myself leaning protectively towards Meena anyway. I knew Jasper wouldn't hurt her. He was her uncle and had known her since the day she was born. But something about him set me on edge. Perhaps it was the way he looked. To humans he probably appeared flawless. Only immortals would be able to see him for what he was. The night before, he had looked dangerous which is why I'd wanted to attack him. In broad daylight, the scars on his face were more vivid, sending out a clear warning. He'd obviously been through many battles and survived to tell the tale. I moved even closer to Meena, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. And then I was hit with a sudden urge to relax. Meena looked at her uncle and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Jasper asked innocently. "The dog was getting antsy."

"The dog's name is Nate," I gritted sarcastically.

Jasper looked at me for a moment before a glint of respect appeared in his eyes. "I apologize. It's been awhile since we had a member of your tribe here to visit us. Not since Jacob anyway. How is Seth?"

"Seth is Seth," I remarked, not bothering to add that he was currently dating someone who's father wanted his head on a platter.

"I'm glad to hear he hasn't changed," Jasper said, chuckling. "He always had such positive emotions. He was very easy to be around."

Meena began to question her uncle about his time in the service. He told us everything he remembered of his life while human and in the Confederate army. It was probably one of the most surreal moments of my life. I was sitting across from someone who had fought in the Civil War, something that happened over 160 years before. By the time we were done meeting with him, I had a very positive feeling that Meena and I were going to get an A on our paper. I stood up from the chair and gratefully shook Jasper's hand. It was only the briefest of physical contact, but I managed to do it without my hands trembling. However, I had to quickly excuse myself for some fresh air. I made my way to the backyard and sat on a wooden chair set up on the stone patio while Meena stayed behind to talk to her uncle some more.

"How are you holding up?"

I looked over and saw Edward standing some yards away from me.

"I'm all right."

"It took Jacob awhile to adjust to our scent as well. Of course, he had motivation to stick around us after my daughter was born. So do you. I've always found your imprinting process fascinating."

I looked at him, but he was looking off in the distance, lost in thought.

"May I join you?" he finally asked.

"Sure." I watched as Edward sat in the chair opposite of me. He scooted his chair slightly away from me. I didn't take it offensively. I was sure that I stunk to him just as badly as he smelled to me. He looked at me and smiled.

"I think the only wolf that ever truly accepted us was Seth. But Seth never saw us as vampires, he saw us as people. You've been taught to hate us, yes?"

I gritted my teeth. I didn't want to get into this. Edward looked at me knowingly.

"You want to like us for Meena's sake, but you feel conflicted about it. I know my family has had issues with your father and his pack in the past and vice versa."

I knew he was referring to when my father had ordered his pack to attack the Cullens when Bella was pregnant with Renesmee.

"My father was only trying to protect the tribe," I defended. "They didn't know what Mrs. Black was going to be."

"He acted on emotion," Edward returned. "He wasn't thinking clearly because Jacob's Alpha power was coming into prominence. As you know from personal experience, Alphas can't think clearly around one another."

"So you're saying that my father was to blame?" I asked in distaste.

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Believe it or not, I'm trying to help you here, Nathaniel. You and Meena are happy now. For Meena to ever truly be happy though, you're going to need to find a way to accept Gabriel and he needs to do the same. You two have more than just the Alpha problem going on between you. Gabe has as many issues with the Uleys as you do with the Cullens. Both he and Meena were told at a very young age of how your father ordered an attack on our family. And I know you've been taught not to trust us either. Sam never accepted us. Mind you, he would have killed for us if he needed to because he cares deeply for Renesmee. But he held us responsible for so many children on your reservation phasing. Not only that, but Sam had hurt his girlfriend, Leah, when he first phased, then almost killed your mother when she rejected him and their imprint. He was angry for a long time over becoming a wolf. He blamed us for it."

"If you hadn't come to the area, he wouldn't have phased," I reminded him begrudgingly.

"That's true, but others would have shown up eventually and he would have phased anyway. At least with us, he didn't have to worry about being attacked."

I didn't say anything.

"There's a lot of wrong on both sides," Edward continued. "I can't say that I regret moving to Forks. I wouldn't have met Bella. Jake would never have imprinted on my daughter. _You_ wouldn't have Meena. I can go on with this existence truly at peace, because I have my family, including my grandchildren. I could be bitter. I could be furious with Sam for wanting to kill my happiness. But none of us knew the outcome of Ness's birth. It was a tense time for all of us. I've let it go though. I have a whole eternity in front of me and I can go on in peace. If you want that with Meena, you're going to have to find some peace with us too, because we aren't going anywhere, Nathaniel. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand what you're saying." I told him. I knew I needed to let go of the pack's former prejudices. Their hate…my father's hate…wasn't mine. And Edward was right. If they hadn't come to the area, I would never have had Meena in my life. She was worth everything.

Edward grinned at me. "I'm glad we understand each other."

A scream ripped through the air just as I doubled over in pain. Jasper tore out of the house covered in blood. I forced myself to stand up, though I was shaking so badly I could barely hold myself up.

"Meena," I whispered. Before I could take a step, Edward grabbed me.

"She's fine," he assured me. "Give her a moment."

"She's not fine," I argued. "She's in pain."

I could feel it in every fiber of my being. I wobbled towards the entrance of cabin. Edward restrained me again, causing me to growl furiously.

"Meena doesn't want you to see her right now," Edward said, looking steadily at me.

I stopped in confusion. I knew he was reading her mind.

"What's going on? Did Jasper attack her?" I asked shakily.

Edward hesitated before saying lowly, "To be blunt, Meena's period just arrived and she forgot to take her medication. She's in a great deal of pain and she also needs to wash up as there was a lot of blood. Imagine the feeling of something sharp clawing at your insides accompanied with headaches and severe blood loss. Now quadruple it and it still wouldn't touch how much pain Meena is in right now. Her menstrual cycle doesn't last long, usually only a day or two, but it's about a year's worth of periods rolled into one."

I began to pace, running my hand through my hair while trying to fight off the corresponding pain I was going through. I clutched at my side.

"This is horrible. Why haven't I felt this pain before?" I wondered.

"Carlisle found with Renesmee that if he administered five horse tranquilizers into her back, it helped numb the pain. Meena usually takes something as soon as she feels the first cramp, but with all the excitement of this weekend, she forgot her shots. Carlisle is giving her something now. Give her some time."

He gently squeezed my arm. I was too distraught to even react to his closeness. For the next hour, I paced until the pain slowly began to ebb away. Bella came out and stood by her husband who hadn't left my side.

"You can go see her now," she told me, wrapping an arm around Edward's waist.

"We should probably go find Jasper and let him know he can return to the house," Edward chuckled before looking at me. "That particular type of blood isn't appealing to us, but if Jasper sees it, he finds it best to leave just to be on the safe side."

"Ah…" I said, feeling suddenly stoned.

Edward laughed as he whispered to Bella, "I think Nate is feeling the effects of Meena's drugs."

Bella walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist before guiding me back inside the house and leading me to Meena's bedroom. I found my imprint curled up into a ball, her face waxy.

"I'm so sorry," Meena murmured. I walked towards her and laid on the bed behind her. Bella discreetly left us by ourselves.

"It's not your fault," I told her gently as I wrapped my arm around her waist. I put my hand soothingly on the lower half of her stomach. She sighed contentedly as the warmth of my hand began to work on her cramped muscles.

"I'm so embarrassed," Meena whimpered. "Why don't you run while you have the chance? I'm such a disgusting freak."

"You're not a freak and I'm not going anywhere." I moved my hand so that I could finger the bracelet around her wrist. "Mine, remember? For as long as you'll have me, I'm not letting you go."

Some of the tension left her shoulders as she snuggled in even closer to me. She soon drifted off to sleep. I felt my eyes begin to close as well, but my mind was still racing.

It had been an eventful weekend so far. I learned what it was like to have a period. I also learned that I could be around vampires, have them touch me, and not react. It was a step in the right direction.

Now…I just had to figure out what to do about Gabe.

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**End Note**

You can still vote for the Silent Tear Awards. Voting goes till June 20! Forbidden Imprint (Embry's Story), has been nominated for the "Forbidden Love" category.

http:/silent-tear-awards(dot)webs(dot)com/vote(dot)htm

And don't forget to nominate your favorite stories for the TwiTastic Awards. Nominations are still being accepted until June 19. (Reminder: my stories can't be nominated as I'm co-hosting.)

http:/twitasticawards(dot)webs(dot)com/

**Please review! I also updated Absent Imprint (Leah's Story) yesterday. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, I hope you'll check it out. :)**


	12. A Tempting Offer

**Author's Note**

To the person who asked me a couple chapters back what Meena's full name is, I tried to respond to you, but your PM feature is disabled. To answer your question, her name is Wilhemenia Isabelle…Meena, for short. In my fan fic, she was named Wihemenia after Esme's mother. In reality, I named her Meena after Wilhelmina Murray-Harker (Mina), the heroine from Bram Stoker's Dracula. ;)

I'd like to remind everyone that per site rules, you shouldn't be reading M rated stories unless you're 16 and up.

**As I mentioned before, this story is going to take some very dark turns. This chapter includes adult themes, cutting, and drug use. You've been warned. Thanks everyone! **

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_This day's black fate on more days doth depend,  
This but begins the woe others must end._

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo and Juliet_

**Chapter 12 – A Tempting Offer**

_December 31, 2025 – January 1, 2026_

Gabe's POV

I trudged up the pathway to Gracie's friend, Ari's house. I cringed slightly from the music I could hear blaring loudly from somewhere inside. This was going to be a long night. I still didn't know how I let Gracie talk me into going to this New Year's Eve party. And if I'd had anywhere else to be tonight, I probably wouldn't be here.

I couldn't stay home though. My parents were having a get together for people their age. Quil and Claire were coming over along with my Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Embry. I really didn't want to be around a bunch of imprint couples tonight. It was bad enough having to see my sister get ready for her date with Nate.

I was glad that things had progressed for her and the douche bag. Meena was happier than I'd ever seen her. When she didn't know that I was around, her aura glowed in her happiness. Of course, that always changed as soon as she saw me. The normal guilt would set in and I'd read the self-doubt in her. That was why I stayed away from her as much as I could.

I wasn't much for company lately anyway. I really felt like a complete idiot over the way I set my hopes in a relationship with Tanya. The bitch was known for breaking hearts for centuries. I was a moron for thinking there had been something more between us.

But…I could have sworn she felt something for me the night we made love. That's what angered me so much. I was duped. She didn't care for me. I was just a notch on the proverbial bedpost. It pissed me off and I was holding onto that emotion, which was unlike me. Why couldn't I just let it go? I was usually like my dad, laid back and didn't dwell on things for long.

As much as I hated to admit it, I knew the reason why I was struggling emotionally. I loved Tanya. I had loved her since I was about 12 and worshipped her for even longer. She was beautiful…amazing. She had become an almost obsessive fantasy for me. I thought all my dreams were coming true when we'd come together. But it had meant nothing to her.

I couldn't talk to anyone about how I was feeling either. My parents would think it was some stupid adolescent crush that I'd get over. My sister would worry about me and therefore start her _you're unhappy so I should be too _crap. And my Cullen relatives were still so pissed about what Tanya had done that I couldn't even mention her without getting lectured. Emmett had even suggested that I was probably just a substitute for my grandfather since it was known that she'd had feelings for him at one time. Out of all the scenarios that I had come up with to explain Tanya's behavior, that was the worst one. I wished there was someone I could talk to but there wasn't. I'd never felt more isolated in all my life.

Which brought me to Meena. It was selfish to admit, but a tiny of part of me was angry with her. Though I had been the one to push her towards Nate, it had always been the two of us. Now, she had Nate and his friends and I felt abandoned. She was well received with the student population at our school. She was dating the prince of the rez. I felt like I was on the outside looking in. I didn't have anyone. Except for Gracie Uley.

After Meena and I had our falling out, Gracie took me in. If it weren't for her, I would have had to deal with the humiliation of eating lunches by myself every day at school. Gracie always went out of her way to include me, even more so after she dumped her boyfriend.

We had a lot in common. Neither one of us really knew our place in the world. Both of us felt like outsiders for the most part. And neither of us wanted to be in La Push. And just like me, Gracie was heartbroken. Not that she knew the reason why. She had once told me that she felt like something was missing in her life. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but I knew she felt _his_ absence on a subconscious level.

I couldn't tell her what was wrong though. So many times I wanted to explain imprinting to her and that if she felt like something was missing in her life, it was Ryan. But it wasn't any of my business. Her imprinter would have to be the one to tell her about their strange connection and what it entailed. All I could do was be there for her as a friend. And friendship was all we had. We never kissed again after that first time. I knew we both thought about it a lot. Sometimes I'd find myself staring at her lips wanting to taste them again. But I just couldn't find it in me to cross the boundaries.

The problem was though that Gracie kept pushing us to be more. If we were living in another world where Tanya and Ryan didn't exist, I would have loved to have dated her. She was fun, carefree, and didn't give a damn about what others thought. I needed someone like her in my life. But I couldn't do it.

Not because of Nate or Ryan. I really didn't give a shit about either one of them. I wouldn't interfere with Gracie's imprint because of my dad. The Blacks were already seen as villains for the most part. Why? Because my dad stopped Sam Uley and his pack of thugs from killing my family. I knew my grandfather had tried to tell me that Sam was just trying to protect the tribe; that they didn't know what my mother was. He always liked to remind me that Sam and his pack stood by our family's side when the Volturi came to the area to kill my mother….blah, blah, blah. The Uleys were superior acting, arrogant wannabes. If it weren't for Gracie, I wouldn't even try to hide my contempt for their family.

Pulling my thoughts away from the past, I knocked on the front door of the house. When no one answered, I let myself in. The living room was full of people. I knew all of them from school, but only talked to a handful of them. Most nodded at me in greeting, yet none tried to hide their weariness from their eyes. They were all too aware on some level that I was a predator in their midst. Fuck them anyway!

"Gabe, you made it," Ari squealed. She hugged me close, pressing her breasts against me.

"Yeah," I returned, running my hand slightly down the tight deep purple shirt clinging to her body. Just as I suspected…no bra. I took a step back. "Is Gracie here?"

Disappointment filled Ari's face. "She's in the kitchen."

"Thanks," I told her before running my eyes up and down over her body. She was wearing a black leather micro-mini skirt and stiletto heels. Everything screamed, _fuck me_.

I looked at her and gave her a seductive smile that my grandfather had practically patented. "You look really good, Ari."

She blushed slightly which amused me. So much for the confident sex symbol she always portrayed.

"Thanks," she said through her lashes. I chuckled and headed to where Gracie was.

I found her in the kitchen with her some sleazy guy. He had hair that hung limply past his chin and looked like it hadn't been washed in a week. He was watching Gracie's every move as she took a pill I had only seen in magazines and swallowed it.

"Ecstasy?" I stated menacingly. "Really?"

Gracie jumped and looked at me guiltily. "Gabe, you made it."

"What the hell are you doing, Gracie?" I questioned angrily, taking a step toward her. The drug pusher walked between us and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't you get the fuck out of here?" He asked, pushing his greasy face into mine. "The lady and I are enjoying the party."

"Get your goddamn hand off of me," I told him through clenched teeth. Instead of letting me go, his grip tightened.

"Or what?" He mocked.

I didn't hesitate. I grabbed him by the neck and pushed him high up against a wall, his feet dangling in the air as his face turned purple. He weighed no more to me than a child's doll.

"You come near this girl again and I'll fucking kill you. Do you understand?" I informed him.

The man's eyes began to bulge, but he jerked his head into a weak nod. I didn't release him as I slid him across the wall to the side door with one arm. I opened it and threw him out into a large snow bank. The man scrabbled to his feet, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at me. I stood before him shaking to the point where I was beginning to blur. The man quickly turned and ran. I had to breathe several times through my nose in an attempt to calm down, my hands clenched by my side. When I felt I had enough control, I returned to the kitchen. Gracie was sitting on the floor, cradling a beer bottle. Her aura was a spectrum of colors.

"What were you thinking?" I asked, sitting down beside her. "That stuff kills people. Even now, I can hear your heart racing."

"How do you know that's not from your presence?" She flirted. Gracie turned her head to look at me. I shook my head as I looked into her unfocused eyes.

"Why did you do it?" I questioned.

Gracie shrugged. "It wasn't the first time. I don't usually do it, but…I-I just needed to go numb tonight. It makes me feel good."

"That's a bullshit reason," I replied, trying to keep my voice level and my hands from shaking again as anger swept through me once more. "There are other ways to go numb without taking something that will fry your brain."

"I know," Gracie said, suddenly solemn.

She looked in my direction again and my breath caught. It was like looking into her soul. Aside from the fact that her aura suddenly went completely black, her misery was laid out before me to see. I never knew the extent of her pain until that moment. Gracie leaned forward until our faces were mere inches apart.

"Kiss me, Gabe," she begged. "Make me forget."

I hesitated. A part of me wanted to. I wanted to give her what she asked for if it made her smile again. I wanted to experience that electric surge that happened last time we kissed. But I couldn't do it. For one, she was stoned out of her mind. For another, I knew that if Gracie remembered tonight, she would regret it someday. It might not happen tonight or even in the next few weeks, but she would regret it once she knew all the facts about her imprint. Her heart wasn't really into it. Her heart was on the other side of the country. She just needed to realize that in her own time.

"Grace, I can't," I implored her to understand. I was startled when her eyes immediately began to well with tears.

"You called me Grace," she whispered.

"Sorry…should I just stick with Gracie?" I asked in confusion.

"_He_ calls me Grace." Two tears streamed slowly down her cheeks.

I couldn't resist any longer. I leaned in and lightly brushed my lips against hers. I'd do anything to take away her pain, which so closely resembled my own. Like before, there was an electric charge between us as our kiss deepened. My heart sped up as our tongues met and danced together.

Our positions changed and before I knew it, we were laying on the floor, my body resting between her legs. I could smell her arousal, which caused me to groan. I was quickly losing focus of the fact that she had been imprinted on, was stoned out of her mind, and anyone could walk in on us at any moment. I pressed my growing erection against her body.

"Gabe," she whimpered.

Her hand moved expertly between us to rest on my stomach. I raised myself over her and closed my eyes as I felt her hand drift lower. It slipped beneath the waistline of my jeans, continuing under my briefs, until finally making contact with my hardened flesh. I shuddered as I felt her hand run along the length of me. I hissed as her hand moved even lower to cup the sensitive sack below. Her fingers trailed back up my length.

"You're huge," Gracie said with widened eyes. I felt myself shudder as her hand continued to move up and down the length of me.

"Fuck," I said through gritted teeth. I heard her laugh which made me narrow my eyes. With every ounce of control I had left, I pulled her away from me. "You want to play?"

"Yes," she responded as she wrapped her legs tightly around my waist so that her center was pressed right against me.

Moving away from her, I returned the favor and slid my fingers beneath the waistline of her jeans, going underneath her panties until I reached her womanly bud. I teased it, pulling gently on the skin. Gracie cried out and bucked against my hand. I continued to touch her this way until I moved my fingers to run along the outer lips that guarded her entrance.

"Please," Gracie begged. Needing no further encouragement, I slipped a finger inside her and moved it back and forth, making sure to hit her G-spot each time. When she began to clench around me, I inserted another finger then another.

"Oh God," Gracie whimpered as her body arched. I continued to rock my hand back and forth until Gracie grabbed my head and our lips mashed together just as I felt her spasm against my fingers. Pulling my hand away, I brought it to my mouth and licked her essence off my flesh. She tasted incredible. Gracie watched my every move, her eyes re-kindling with desire…her extremely red, unfocused eyes.

God dammit to hell and back! I let my hormones rule my actions again. Jerking away from Gracie at lightning speed, I ran out of the kitchen and headed towards the hallway bathroom. What was wrong with me? I stupidly and recklessly just took advantage of someone who probably didn't even know her own name right now.

As soon as I got into the bathroom, I went over to the sink. I looked into the mirror and felt sick with the person staring back at me. How did I come to this? How did I come to this angry, foolish person I didn't even recognize anymore?

"Hey you," a feminine voice said. I looked over and saw that Ari was standing in the doorway. She entered the room and closed the door behind her before leaning against it.

"Get out of here," I told her in warning. I was still teetering on slipping out of control.

"I can help you take care of that," Ari remarked, glancing down at my jeans where my erection was still straining against my jeans. She licked her lips. "In fact, I'd be more than willing."

"You don't know what you're asking for," I growled. The wolf was beginning to take over again. The same one that destroyed my judgment and encouraged me to sleep with Tanya.

"You want Gracie," Ari stated. "But for some reason you won't take her, even though I'm guessing she's the reason you're in your current state."

"Get the fuck out!" I told her more firmly, taking a menacing step towards her. She moved next to me and cupped my arousal through my pants. I clenched my teeth as she added pressure.

"Your body is so warm, even through your clothes," Ari said absently, before begging seductively, "use me. I want you too."

Her hand began to tease me and the wolf took over. I slammed her against the door and pressed my body against her. A voice inside my head was screaming at me that I wasn't acting like myself….that I was better than this. It continued to yell that I was only acting like this because I felt so lost and alone anymore. But the hormone-driven wolf just laughed.

I bent on my knees and sniffed Ari's arousal. It wasn't even close to the incredible fragrance of Gracie's, but she'd do. I just needed to mate with any female available. I needed the release that I denied myself with Gracie. I moved up until I was level with her breasts. I sucked on one of her nipples peeping through the material of her shirt. I grabbed it with my teeth and pulled before running my tongue over it. Ari moaned in pleasure. I got up and tasted her lips with mine. Her lips weren't as soft as Gracie's. I certainly didn't feel an electric charge. She was just a body to me.

"You want me to fuck you?" I asked, my hand moving down to her panty covered mound. I could feel the dampness of her readiness.

"God yes," Ari murmured.

I let her go and walked over to the opposite side of the bathroom where a large Jacuzzi tub sat. I took off my shirt. Ari's eyes lingered on my muscled abs. Reaching in my jean pocket for my wallet, I pulled out a condom. After the Tanya incident, my dad insisted that I carry some with me. I grabbed the waist of my pants and briefs and pushed them both down. Ari's mouth dropped open as she looked at me.

I went over to the wide edge of the tub and sat down. "Well?"

She looked hesitant. I almost laughed. She wanted this; she was damn well going to finish it. Again that voice screamed at me to stop the insanity, but the wolf growled for the voice to shut up.

"I don't have all day," I sneered, my body beginning to ache.

She lifted up her eyebrows and lifted her chin. Ari stripped off her shirt, mini-skirt, and panties. Next she took off her stilettos and walked seductively towards me. I took the condom I had in my hand and rolled it on my member. Ari stopped when she was right in front of me.

"Well?" She repeated my word back to me.

I grabbed her and pulled her onto my lap so that she was straddling me, her legs hanging over into the tub. I placed myself at her entrance, running my erection back and forth. Ari threw her head back and closed her eyes. I then slammed into her, not giving her time to adjust. She gasped and I forced myself to freeze. As soon as she started moving against me on her own, I began to thrust into her again. We both soon reached our releases, yet I felt no satisfaction in it. Instead, I felt sick with myself.

My hormones had won again. I wouldn't take advantage of the girl I really wanted so I slept with her best friend instead. Was I really so weak? Or had my need to fit in turned me into something pathetic and unrecognizable? Pushing her off me, I got up and went over to the trashcan. I ripped the condom off and threw it away before rinsing my hands. Ari was still sitting on the tub with a contented smile on her face.

"We should definitely do this again," she suggested.

"I don't think so," I returned, angry with myself for my lack of control and angry with her for making it so easy.

"Why? It was good," Ari returned.

"It was convenient," I replied, turning to look at her with disgust written on my face. "While I appreciate the easy lay, it's not going to happen again."

"You bastard," Ari said, getting up from the tub and quickly getting dressed before hurrying out the room, slamming the door behind her.

I looked in the mirror again. My face was blank, my eyes dead. I took my fist and smashed the mirror, watching in detachment as my hand bled for a moment before the tiny cuts covering my hand sealed up. Feeling suddenly exhausted, I went back out to find Gracie. I had to apologize for my behavior before. If I lost her friendship, I would have nothing left in La Push. I stepped out of the bathroom and sniffed the air. Gracie was still in the same spot I had left her. I could hear people in the living room talking excitedly about the fact that it was almost the New Year. I went back into the kitchen and found Gracie dancing around the middle of the room, a beer bottle in her hand while two empty ones sat on the counter.

"Have you ever been dwunk before, Gabe?" Gracie asked in a slightly slurred voice.

"No. I can't get drunk," I explained. "Listen, I want to apologize for what happened earlier."

"What happened earlier?" Gracie wondered in a slightly confused tone. I watched as her aura changed colors several times. Yep, definitely confused.

"Never mind," I muttered, feeling slightly disappointed that she didn't remember.

"Hey," Gracie said. "I know how to get you drunk."

"That's okay," I returned, running a hand through my hair. "I think I've done enough stupid shit tonight."

"Oh…stop being such a stiff," she murmured as she turned away. "Don't you want to just relax and act like a rebellious teen for once instead of a 90-year-old man? Come on, get drunk with me."

"How?" I asked cautiously. Gracie began opening cupboard doors.

"You're not venomous, are you?" She questioned.

"No, why?" I asked and then watched in horror as Gracie took a sharp knife and sliced her arm.

"Are you crazy!" I yelled.

Gracie laughed even as she winced. "What can I say? I've become a cutter. Now drink up."

She raised her arm up. I watched in sick fascination as the hypnotizing liquid sprang the wound.

"I can't drink your blood," I whispered, horrorstricken even as the crimson temptation dripped from her arm and hit the floor in a splattered pool between us. The scent reached my sense of smell, causing my throat to suddenly burn painfully.

"I have enough alcohol and drugs in my system that you should be wasted in the matter of seconds. Now if you wouldn't mind sucking this up, I'm beginning to bleed all over the place."

"Gracie," I said fearfully even as I took a step towards her. "I've never tasted human blood. What if I can't stop?"

"Then I suggest you run, cause my brother will most likely kill you."

"I can't do it," I insisted, even as I brought her arm up to my face and breathed in her sticky sweet scent. More blood fell to the ground causing me to groan in response.

"I trust you," Gracie replied.

"I don't," I returned.

The tantalizing scent was beginning to overwhelm me. I didn't back away as Gracie put her cut right against my lips. I shuddered as a desire I had never known before overwhelmed me. It was partly erotic…all my senses were becoming alive as they always did when I hunted, but it was also the temptation of the forbidden. Even as a baby, I'd always been fed animal blood. The warm thick liquid trickled onto my lips. My tongue automatically slipped out to taste it. As soon as it entered my mouth, I was gone.

I lowered my mouth and latched onto her cut. It was as though I were drinking the sweetest nectar ever created. I put both hands around her arm and refused to let go, as a frenzied monster took over. I heard Gracie whimper, but I didn't pay attention to her. She was no longer someone I knew. She was a tasty morsel offered to a starving man. It was only when she made a strange gurgling noise that it registered on me that her heartbeat was beginning to pound slower. I quickly released her in horror. Gracie wobbled, her face the color of snow. Her eyes rolled in her head right before she collapsed to the floor.

"Oh God. Gracie!" I panicked. I tried to bend down to assist her, but the room began to tilt. Losing my balance, I collapsed next to her.

Closing my eyes, I used my connection to my twin for the first time in months.

_Meena, help me, _I begged._ Please help._

I could hear Gracie's heart beating weakly.

"Meena," I pleaded, this time out loud. "Please help me."

My head continued to spin, making me feel nauseous. It had to be from the ecstasy and alcohol in Gracie's blood. It was having a strange effect on me. Then again, I could be having a strange reaction to her blood, like a person getting sick from eating meat after being a vegetarian for years.

I reached out and tenderly touched Gracie's hair, knowing that it was hopeless, knowing that she was going to die. The tears began to run down my cheeks uselessly. I picked up her hand. It felt cold to the touch.

"Gracie, I'm so sorry," I choked. Her eyes fluttered in response.

With what energy I could muster, I pulled her onto my lap. I listened fearfully as Gracie's breathing became shallower. Just as I heard people yelling in the other room, "Happy New Year," the side door burst open and Nate and Meena entered, both slightly breathless. Nate's eyes widened as he took in me holding Gracie's motionless body.

"What the fuck did you do to my sister?" Nate yelled, instantly running over to Gracie and pulling her from me. He picked her up in his arms and sniffed her face suspiciously. "What's that smell?"

"Ecstasy and alcohol," I mumbled. My voice sounded incoherent even to my own ears.

Meena ran to Nate's side and inspected Gracie. She picked up her injured arm and gasped.

"Gabe?" My sister turned to me with an incredulous look on her face.

"Meena, I've got to get Gracie to the hospital," Nate said, looking torn between wanting to stay and kill me or taking care of his sister.

"Go," Meena implored. Nate nodded and flew out the door. Meena turned back to me.

"Get up," she growled. I stood up weakly from the floor.

Meena looked at me in disgust before turning and grabbing a paper towel off the kitchen counter. Holding her breath, she bent down and cleaned the blood that had pooled on the floor after Gracie had first cut herself. She threw the soiled towel in the garbage and washed her hands in the sink with soap. When she was done, she grabbed my arm and practically dragged me out of the house.

"You smell like sex," Meena stated. "Did you sleep with Gracie?"

"No," I murmured. "I mean…we kissed and fooled around a bit, but I stopped before it got too far and slept with Ari instead."

Meena's shoulders relaxed slightly, but her face was disapproving.

"Where are your keys?" She asked.

I pulled them out of my pant pocket and handed them to her. We got in the BMW and drove. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I had never felt so sick in all my life. I may have killed Gracie. If she died and Nate's pack didn't retaliate, as was their right, I'd kill myself.

Meena and I drove for the next few hours in silence. I began to sober up as we continued to our unknown destination. I glanced a few times at Meena's profile, but I knew she wasn't in the mood to talk. Her jaw was tense, her back straight. When the sun began to rise in the sky, Meena finally pulled over and got out of the car. I followed her, staring at her in confusion.

"Meena, I-"

"The Canadian border is about 10 miles from here. Take the car and go to Grandmother and Grandfather's house."

"Meena, I just-" I started to say and then stopped. What could I possible say that could rectify the situation?

Meena looked at me then, her bright green eyes shimmering with tears. "You just what, Gabe? What can you possibly say to me that will explain your actions tonight? How will you explain what I saw? Did you or did you not drink Gracie Uley's blood tonight?

"Yes." I bowed my head.

Meena sobbed and turned her back to me. "You can't come back to Forks. You fed off the tribal chief's daughter who also happens to be related to two Alphas. You're the grandson of a Cullen. You broke the treaty tonight. They'll kill you if you come near the area again."

"I know," I whispered.

"They might even kill me for helping you," Meena said, her back still to me.

"No." I instantly rejected the idea, hurrying over to her so that I could hug her close. I rested my head against her head remorsefully. "Nate won't allow you to be punished for my actions."

"I betrayed him tonight," Meena answered lifelessly. "I'm helping you when I should make you stay to face the consequences. I chose you over him…again."

She covered her hands in her face and started crying as I held her.

"Meena, I'm so sorry," I murmured. I felt a sudden impact against my chest. It took my breath away. I let go and looked at Meena with stunned eyes. She hit me again and then again.

"You stupid, selfish bastard!" She yelled.

I didn't defend myself as she continued to punch me. I allowed her to offer the physical punishment I knew I deserved. When she finally exhausted herself, she stepped several feet away from me. My body throbbed painfully where she'd punched me.

"Go," Meena said coldly.

I nodded and walked towards the car. I stopped and turned to glance at my twin.

"Will you call me and let me know how Gracie is…i-if she made it?"

Meena looked at me for moment and then said the last thing I ever expected.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm done. I'm done helping you. I'm done protecting you. From this point on, if Nate forgives me for tonight, I'm choosing him. You're on your own from now on. You made your bed, Gabriel, and now you'll have to lie in it. I'm done with you."

Meena then turned on her invisibility shield and disappeared from my view…leaving me completely alone.

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	13. Meena's Confession

Sorry for the delay. I needed to take a break. Anyway, I've recently had a lot of activity and comments on my stories, even my earlier ones, and I've been told by several people that they were referred to my work by my readers. I can't thank you enough for that! I'm incredibly lucky to have the supporters that I do. I've received so many encouraging PMs and reviews, which have really helped me put the pettiness of others behind me. Special thanks to my fantastic beta, DazzledByJake, for the recent talks and her ninja editing skills. Onto the chapter!

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_Make it a word and a blow._

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo & Juliet_

**Chapter 13 – Meena's Confession**

_January 1, 2026_

Nate's POV

I rushed to my car, carrying Gracie's limp body in my arms.

"Stay with me, Gracie," I pleaded as my sister started making a strange gurgling noise. I panicked as I glanced down at her pale features. She looked on the brink of death.

"Don't you die on me," I ordered, my Alpha voice coming out strong, but her eyes didn't even flutter. Shit! Why couldn't she just be a wolf? Then she wouldn't have any choice but to follow my order.

I quickly made my way to my car, thankful that Meena and I had been driving around when Meena "felt" her brother calling her. I placed Gracie carefully on the passenger seat and then flew around to the other side of the vehicle, hopping in behind the wheel, and revving the engine. Before long, I was flying down the road.

"Please don't die, please don't die," I chanted, keeping one hand on my sister's head as she lay sideways on the seat. The drive to Forks took six minutes instead of the normal fifteen. Pulling into the hospital parking lot, I grabbed Gracie and ran into the emergency room entrance.

"Help," I shouted. "Please help!"

Embry Call came hurrying towards me. He was a doctor who specialized in emergency care. After he married Rebecca Black, he transferred to the local hospital in Forks. Never in all my life was I so grateful to see someone.

In my shocked state though, I asked stupidly, "What are you doing here? I thought you were at Jacob's."

"I got called in. What happened?" Embry asked as he took Gracie from me. An orderly came towards us with a gurney and Embry placed her on it before rushing her into a trauma unit for treatment.

"Gabriel Black fed off her," I said lowly so that no one else could hear.

Embry flashed me a startled look before shouting out to a nurse that he needed fluids delivered, stat. Checking her vitals, Embry frowned and picked up Gracie's wrist. Using his wolf senses, he smelled her skin, his face darkening.

"She's got illegal substances in her system. Do you know what she took?"

"Ecstasy and alcohol," I repeated what Gabe told me. Just thinking of him made me begin to tremble. Embry, seeing this, grabbed my shoulders and pushed me out of the unit.

"Go call your parents," he instructed. "Gracie's going to need a lot of blood, and I'm going to need their consent."

I nodded and ran out of the area. With shaking hands, I pulled out my cell phone and called my mom.

"Nate, are you okay?" she asked as soon as she heard my terrified voice.

"Mom, something's happened to Gracie. She's injured and-"

"Where are you?" she interrupted.

"In the emergency room in Forks."

"We're on our way." My mom disconnected the call.

I began to pace. If anything happened to Gracie, I didn't know what I'd do. She was my baby sister. I should have been watching out for her. I knew she was hurting, but I'd been so wrapped up in my own little happy bubble with Meena that I neglected to care for her. I also knew how dangerous it was for Gracie to hang out with Gabe, and yet I did nothing because he seemed to make her happy.

Which brought me to a whole other issue I wasn't ready to think about. Gabriel might have the last name Black, but he was also still a Cullen. Tonight he fed off a human, and not just any human, but a member of the Quileute tribe. It was the pack's right to hunt him down and slaughter him like the deceitful, destructive pig he was. I couldn't deny that I wanted to give into my wolf instincts, track him down, and make him pay.

But even as I thought about that, my mind flashed to Meena. As soon as she entered my brain, my anger abated slightly. It would kill Meena if anything happened to her twin. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt her like that.

My phone rang in my hands. Looking down at the caller ID, I sighed.

"Hey Devlin," I answered tiredly.

"Hey. Where are you guys? I thought you and Meena were on your way over. A lot of the pack is here. Even Azra showed up."

"We're not going to be able to make it," I told him. "Gracie's in the hospital."

"Why? What happened?"

I hesitated. I didn't know what course of action I wanted to take regarding Gabe yet, but if I told the pack what happened, I was afraid they'd go after him. And with Meena possibly still with him, I wasn't about to risk her safety.

"She got wasted and then hurt," I explained.

"Where are you? In Forks?" Dev asked.

"Yeah," I replied wearily.

"We're on our way."

"Dev, you don't have to do that."

"We're on our way," he repeated before ending the call.

I made my way to the waiting room and sat down in one of the chairs. Thankfully, it was empty and quiet. Resting my elbows on my knees, I stared at my phone, willing Meena to call. I needed to hear her voice. I needed to know that she wasn't with Gabe right now.

Unable to stand it, I called her but the phone went to straight to voicemail. Ending the connection without leaving a message, I ran my hand over my face before sitting back in my chair and closing my eyes. I stayed like that for the next few minutes until my parents walked in.

"What happened?" My dad asked as he came over to me.

I got up and moved myself between my mother and my father. I wasn't sure how my dad would react and although he hadn't phased in over a year, I knew he could lose control when he heard what I had to tell him. I didn't want my mom within the danger zone.

"I found Gracie at her friend, Ari's house," I explained. "Dad, she was high again."

My mom sobbed behind me. I knew they had been worried over Gracie's drug use. Before Gabe had come on the scene and she had cleaned up her act, they had actually been talking about sending her away somewhere for treatment.

"What else, Nathaniel?" My father questioned, inspecting my face close.

Moving even closer to my mom, I whispered, "Gabriel Black fed off her."

My dad began to shake so hard that he started to blur. I quickly glanced around, but the area was still empty. My mother moved around me before I could stop her and put her hands on my father's chest.

"Sam, calm down," she pleaded, reaching up to cup his face. "Sweety, please."

My dad stopped blurring though he still trembled slightly. My mother stood on her toes and kissed his chin. With a shudder of despair, my father wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. I looked away, feeling as though I were intruding on a very private moment.

"What are we going to do, Em?" he murmured against her head.

"We're going to do what we should have done a long time ago," my mom replied strongly. "Ryan or no Ryan, Gracie is going to get the therapy she needs."

"Are you thinking about that treatment facility we talked about before?" My dad wondered.

"Oh no, I've got a much better plan for our daughter," my mother answered in a determined tone.

I got up and left them to discuss what Gracie's punishment was going to be if she pulled through. I walked outside just as Azra, Devlin, and Jason arrived.

"How's she doing?" Azra asked.

"Embry's working on her right now," I explained. I looked over and saw Seth's car tear into the parking lot before he and Jared's daughter, Hayley, came running towards us.

"Azra called me," Seth said. "What happened?"

I looked over at Hayley. "Hayley, could you give us a second?"

"Sure," she nodded, leaning in to kiss Seth lightly on the mouth before moving past me. I reached out and grabbed her arm lightly.

"I'd really appreciate it if this didn't get around school," I told her. Hayley was in my grade.

"I wasn't planning on saying anything," Hayley replied indignantly, lifting her head in defiance.

"Thanks Becknell," I said in relief.

She nodded, "No problem, Uley."

As soon as she was out of earshot I looked at my pack. "Is Brady with Kayley?"

"Yeah, he's babysitting for Quil and Claire tonight," Seth returned.

"So what happened?" Azra asked calmly.

"Gracie got high and Gabriel Black fed off her," I told them matter-of-factually.

"I can't believe Gabe would do that," Devlin whispered in shock. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that Gabe and Dev were cousins.

"Where is he?" Jason asked excitedly. "Are we going to hunt him?"

"We're not talking about hunting some leech," Seth snapped. "We're talking about a kid, who's more shape-shifter than vampire."

"What do you want us to do?" Azra asked me quietly.

I looked from Jason's eager face to Devlin's upset one. Seth and Azra both kept their cool, looking like the lethal warriors that they were, waiting for their commander's order. I shook my head.

"Don't do anything right now," I instructed. "Not until I have more details."

_And not until Meena is safe._ I silently added.

Seth and Azra nodded and went inside. Jason looked disappointed, but meekly followed the others in. Devlin stayed where he was, his fists clenched at his sides.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

Devlin closed his eyes for a moment before giving me a tormented look. "Nate, you know I'd follow you anywhere. I'd do anything you asked. But I…I can't go after Gabe if that's what the pack finally decides. I know he broke the treaty, but he's Uncle Jacob's son. I-I can't kill my own cousin. Aside from the fact that my mom would be furious with me, I can't do that to my family."

I walked over to him and he tensed up. Reaching out, I wrapped my hand around his neck and drew him close, nudging my forehead against his in sympathetic understanding before letting him go.

"I'd never ask you to do that," I told him quietly. "As much as I can't stand Gabriel, I don't exactly want him dead either. I couldn't do that to Meena."

I whispered that last part, looking up at the dark winter sky. It was beginning to snow.

"Where is Meena?" Devlin asked. I frowned before looking at the ground.

"I'm not sure," I replied, pulling out my cell phone to check it one more time. There was still nothing from Meena. I was beginning to feel edgy. I needed to see my imprint.

"Hey, Embry's talking to your parents." Azra poked his head out the door to inform me.

I hurried back inside and rushed into the waiting room where my friends and family had gathered around Embry as he spoke.

"…we're doing everything we can. We're going to keep giving her blood and intravenous fluids until her stats return to a normal range," Embry explained. "In the meantime, she's stable, but we're going to need to keep her here for a few days. If Nate hadn't gotten to her when he did, her body would have gone into shock."

My mom came over to me as soon as she realized I was there and hugged me tight.

Embry shifted uncomfortably and looked at my dad. "The thing is, Gracie is a minor who not only had ecstasy in her system, but was also three times over the legal drinking limit. Sam, I'm obligated to file a report with the police department."

The pack members looked at each other and shifted away, giving Embry, my parents, and me a semblance of privacy.

"I understand," my father spoke softly, looking pale.

My mother had tears streaming down her face. "Can we see her?"

"Yeah," Embry replied. "Come on."

We followed him into a private room. Gracie was lying in bed unconscious. A bag filled with blood was hanging from a stand next to her bed, a tube running from it to Gracie's arm. She still looked sickly pale.

"Oh baby," my mother sobbed, going over to smooth some hair gently away from Gracie's forehead.

"When will she wake up?" my father wondered.

"Probably in a few hours," Embry answered. "We gave her a mild sedative. Look, I've got some other patients to check on, but if you need anything, you let me know."

"Thank you, Embry," my mom spoke in a choked voice.

"Sure," he nodded, before leaving the room. I followed him out.

"Embry," I called.

He turned and gave me a waiting look.

"I know you're obligated to file a report with the police department, but is there some other way to go about this?"

"I can't do that, Nate," he told me firmly.

I swallowed. "Embry, do you remember how miserable you were when Rebecca wasn't in your life? Did you always make the right decisions?"

"No, but I also never broke the law," Embry stated through narrowed eyes.

"Gracie hasn't been the same since she found out about the wolf pack," I implored him to understand. "And she's been even worse since Ryan left. She doesn't understand why she's so miserable, because Ryan never told her of their connection. She does incredibly stupid things to bury her pain. Didn't Rebecca fall into a severe depression after you two had an affair and she told you to leave her alone?"

I knew it was shady to throw Embry's troubled past with his wife in his face, but I was fighting for my sister's life here. Embry's gaze turned flinty.

"Don't go there, Nathaniel," he warned.

"I'm sorry," I told him apologetically. "I just wanted to point out how foolish imprint couples can act when they aren't together."

Embry made a huffing noise before he said, "Fine. I might forget to call the police, okay?"

"Thank you, Embry," I replied in relief.

He shrugged. "It's not like Charlie Swan would do anything anyway. He's married to Sue, after all. Emily and the rest of you are his family."

I tried to contain my smile. "That's true."

"Nate, if this happens again though..."

"I'll call the police myself," I promise.

Embry rolled his eyes. "What are you going to do about Gabriel?"

I frowned. "Nothing right now."

He nodded slowly. "What about the person who gave Gracie the drugs in the first place?"

"We're on that," a voice called out. I turned and saw Seth, Azra, and Jason come around the corner.

"Thank you," I told them.

"Sure thing," Azra nodded.

"You'll probably want to start at Gracie's friend's house, Ari," I informed them.

"I know where that is," Jason replied with a look of disgust on his face.

Just as they turned to leave, Claire and Brady walked into the building along with Rebecca Black-Call, and Jacob and Renesmee. It was really bad timing that my dad came out of my sister's room right at that moment.

"Nate, I-" he stopped and sniffed the air, before turning his head. As soon as he saw Jacob, he started trembling.

"What?" he yelled. "Did you and your leech wife come to finish what your son started?"

"Watch what you say about my wife," Jacob warned angrily.

"Dad, come on," I muttered in embarrassment.

"Sam, we realize you're upset-" Nessie said in a pained tone.

"Upset doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling, Renesmee," my father snapped. "My daughter could have died tonight because your son couldn't control himself."

"Sam, calm down," Embry demanded.

"Fuck you, Call," he returned. "You married into their family. Of course, you would be on their side."

"You think this is really going to solve anything?" Jacob said with soft menace, taking several feet towards us so that he and my father were only a foot apart.

"No," my father said in a deadly calm voice, before he reached back and punched Jacob so hard in the face that Jake hit the ground. "But it makes me feel a whole hell of a lot better."

Jacob jumped to his feet and began to shake. I knew if they continued with this fight, my dad would end up losing the battle. Jacob was still phasing and had more strength. My dad only had adrenaline on his side.

"Enough," a quiet firm voice said. We all turned and watched my mother come out of my sister's room with an angry expression on her face.

"Our daughter is in there fighting for her life, and you two are behaving like children," she said, looking disgustingly from Jacob to my dad. "We already have enough going on without this. I don't give a damn who's right or wrong, and I'm certainly not in the mood for finger pointing. If you can't be here for Gracie and put her concern above everything else, then get the hell out of here."

With that, my mom went back into my sister's room, closing the door firmly behind her.

"Fuck," my father muttered before running a hand through his hair. He looked over at Jacob and Renesmee and sighed. "I'm sorry, Ness. I don't think of you as a leech. I never have. You were right. I'm upset about what happened tonight, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"I understand. It's okay," Nessie said cordially. My father looked at Jacob, and without another word went back in my sister's room. I guess the old rivalry would never die.

"We shouldn't have come here," Jake noted. Ness turned his head with her hand so that she could get a better look at the area my father hit. She leaned in and gave him several light kisses on the sore spot. Jacob's shoulders relaxed as some of his left over tension from his encounter with my dad eased.

"Uh," I said, interrupting their moment. "You haven't heard from Meena, have you?"

"She's not here?" Ness asked, looking instantly worried.

"No, she stayed behind with Gabe," I gritted out the name.

"I'll be right back," she said, pulling her cell phone out of her purse and heading outside.

"Nate, we're going to head out now that the excitement is done, and see if we can find whoever gave Gracie the drugs," Azra said. I looked over and saw my pack still standing there.

I nodded. "Thanks. Brady, can you go with them? Seth and Azra can fill you in on everything."

"Sure," he said, walking over to give me a sympathetic squeeze on the arm. He followed Seth and Azra outside. Devlin and Jason followed closely behind.

I watched them leave before glancing around. Hayley and Claire were still there. They were talking to Jacob's sister, Rebecca, who was now clinging to her husband, Embry. I turned and found Jacob watching me intensely.

"How'd you find out what happened?" I asked.

"Brady," he explained. "Quil and Claire were at my house when he called and said that he was needed for a pack emergency. Quil was able to get the details from there. He stayed behind with Kayley so that Claire could be with you guys, but he wants us to keep him updated."

I nodded and looked away. I could still feel Jake staring at me.

"Look, I know what you're going to say," I finally stated. "You're worried about Gabe. He broke the treaty tonight, Jacob."

"That's what I heard," Jacob nodded, looking ill. "I don't understand it though. Gabe's never even cared much for blood. Meena's the one who needs it more than him. I don't know why Gabe would act so irresponsible."

"To get back at me?" I questioned.

Jacob's dark eyebrows slanted into an angry frown. "My son wouldn't do that. No matter how much he was upset with someone, he would never hurt them that way. If you tried to understand Gabe more, you'd know that. Gabriel won't even hunt certain animals if he knows they're endangered. He certainly wouldn't hurt Gracie, who is one of the only true friends he has."

"I wasn't trying to insinuate something," I explained. "I'm just trying to figure out his motivation."

"Are you going to hunt him down?" Jacob went straight to the point.

I reached up and began massaging a muscle in my neck that was throbbing painfully from the tension.

"I don't know what our course of action is going to be," I told him honestly. "My only concern right now is my sister."

"Nathaniel, he's my son," Jacob pleaded. "Please think carefully before you do anything."

I nodded and started to walk away.

"I know you won't kill him," Jake said with sudden confidence.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked.

"Because you love my daughter," Jacob replied simply before walking away and joining Rebecca and Embry.

I frowned at him before turning back and entering my sister's room. Things were even tenser in here than they were out in the corridor. My mother's mouth was compressed into a straight line as she stood by Gracie's bed holding her hand. My father was standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Please Em, I'm sorry," my father said in a desperate tone. Normally, that would have amused me. My father was one of the strongest guys I knew. Sure, he had a quick temper, but I never doubted his powerfulness. Only one thing could bring him to his knees. And that was my mother.

"I just can't believe you'd act like that in a public hospital when your daughter is so sick," my mom snapped. "God, people already probably think we're the worst parents in the world and you're acting like a five-year-old whose favorite toy was broken by a schoolmate."

"People don't think you're bad parents," I tried to assure her.

"Don't they?" my mom wondered, looking at me with tears glistening in her eyes. "I think that. How could we ignore Gracie's pain for so long? How could I? I'm her mother and I failed her."

"Em, that's not true," my father said, forcibly turning her so that he could crush her against his chest.

"It _is_ true," she sobbed. "Our daughter's been hurting for two years, Sam. Two years! And all we did was make excuses…she's a teen, she'll get over it. She just misses Ryan…things will get better when he returns. She could have died tonight and what would our excuse have been then? There is no excusing how badly we've neglected our little girl."

"Mom, you're an amazing parent," I remarked. I went over and hugged her from behind, resting my cheek against her back as she was still being held by my father. "Gracie's always been the type to bite off her nose to spite her face. She was like that even before she found out about the pack. That's just her personality."

"Then we raised her wrong and that's our fault too," my mother whispered, suddenly sounding tired.

"Emily, that's enough," my father said, pulling back to cup her cheeks in his hands. I stepped away from them and turned to look blankly at my sister.

"We've made mistakes," my father said. "No parent ever gets it right. But we know what we've done wrong with Gracie, and we're going to fix it. Starting tonight."

"Mom." I heard a voice so faint it was barely audible even to my own extra sensory hearing.

My mom looked startled at me then down at the bed. Gracie was staring back at her with glazed over eyes.

"Baby." My mother grabbed my sister's hand and held it to her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Gabe?" Gracie whimpered weakly.

My mom swallowed. "He's not here, honey."

Gracie closed her eyes before whispering, "Not his fault."

"What's not his fault?" My dad asked gently.

"My fault," Gracie muttered. "Mine."

"Oh, baby," my mother said, tears running down her cheeks again.

"Don't cry, Mom," Gracie replied weakly before closing her eyes again and falling back asleep.

My mother choked back a sob before burying her face against my dad's chest.

"She'll be okay, Em," he assured her gently, but his eyes met mine. I knew he was thinking the same thing that I was.

What exactly was Gracie's fault?

I spun away from the bed and walked over to the room's large window. What the hell had my sister done tonight? Jacob stated that Gabe didn't even like to hunt certain animals. So what would have caused him to snap and finally drink from a human, risking the life of one of the only few friends he had?

I continued to ask myself these questions throughout the night. When the sky was beginning to lighten, I felt a sharp pull on my spine. Turning away from the window, I raced out of the room and down the corridor. I found Meena standing near the front entrance talking quietly to her parents. She looked up as soon as she sensed me. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her face drawn. My heart broke merely from looking at her. I hurried over to her and lightly touched her arm. I grew nervous when she didn't respond back. She didn't pull away from me, but she didn't move towards me either.

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"Yes." She nodded.

We walked in silence until we reached a tiny chapel on the other side of the hospital. I opened the door for Meena before following her inside.

"So…" Meena shifted uncomfortably.

"So," I returned.

"Nate," Meena suddenly pleaded. "My mom got a hold of Gabe. He told her that Gracie cut her own arm with a knife. She wanted him to get drunk and she thought that was the only way it could happen. Gracie put the blood right against his mouth."

"So what you're telling me is that Gabe almost killed my sister in order to get drunk?" I asked in barely contained fury.

"No," Meena cried, tears filling her eyes. "He'd never do that. You don't understand. We've never been exposed to human blood. Not even as babies. But s-she made it so available for him and-"

"She was high!" I snapped. "She didn't know what she was doing."

"I know," Meena said, looking sick.

My fury in that moment was so intense, I quickly backed away from Meena and went over to the window in the room. I took several deep breaths to control my anger. I finally had the last piece of the puzzle. Gracie, like a dumb fuck, had taunted a vampire hybrid with fresh blood. And Gabe, who was supposed to be an all powerful Alpha with goddamn superpowers, crumbled with hardly any resistance. Instead of holding his breath and running away, he almost killed my sister. I blamed them both for their actions, but in my eyes, Gabe was the guiltier party.

"Meena," I said through clenched teeth. "If the pack decides to retaliate, I'm not going to stop them."

"I know that," Meena replied, her eyes to the ground, her complexion paler than usual.

Something in her tone caught my attention. I turned and stared at her carefully. As I was studying her, I realized something. Since the Blacks moved to the area, I had always felt a strange underlining tension. It was always there lurking, but was stronger when Gabe was around. I didn't feel even a trace of it anymore and I knew the reason why.

"He's gone, isn't he?" I asked. It was the only explanation I could come up with. The other Alpha was no longer within miles of me.

Meena nodded her head and whispered, "Yes, he's gone."

"You helped him escape?" I questioned sickly, taking several steps towards her.

"Yes," Meena replied, finally looking at me even as tears spilled from her emerald eyes. "Just as you won't do anything to stop the pack from killing my brother, I'll do everything in my power to keep him alive. I-I even told Gabe that I didn't want anything more to do with him. I told him that so he would stay away and never come back. Because I-I can't let them kill my twin."

I walked away from her and looked out the window again. I gripped the edge until I heard some of the frame crack. A part of me wanted revenge for Gabe's actions, and now my own imprint denied me the chance of getting justice. I looked over at Meena and saw the misery on her face. Something inside me cracked and my fury drained away. I knew what it must have cost her to reject Gabe.

Sighing, I went and pulled her to me, hugging her close.

"What a fucking night," I told her. Meena responded by wrapping her arms around me, burying her face against my chest.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. It's theirs. Both of them," I muttered against her hair.

"Nate, the pack-"

"Isn't going to do a thing as long as he stays away," I told her. I pulled back and made Meena look at me. "If he comes back here, I can't promise his safety. But if he stays away…well, let's just say, most of the pack doesn't really have the heart to kill Jacob Black's son. And I'm not looking to hurt your brother. Call it self-preservation and maybe even a little selfish, but you hurt, I hurt, right? I think we're all going to suffer enough from the ramifications of this night."

Meena sniffed before leaning in to kiss my chest.

"Thank you, Nate," she whispered.

I felt my phone begin to vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen, not even surprised to see who was calling.

"Well Meena, your brother's got one problem that's bigger than me and my pack put together."

She looked at me questioningly. I held out the phone to her, showing her the name flashing across the caller ID.

_Ryan_

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**Please Review!**


	14. Crime & Punishment

**Special thanks to liljenrocks & DazzledByJake for beta'ing this chapter for me!**

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_I must be cruel only to be kind._

_William Shakespeare_

_Hamlet_

**Chapter 14 – Crime & Punishment**

_January 1, 2026 – January 2, 2026_

Gracie's POV

I felt so tired, I didn't even want to lift my eyelids. It was strange, too. I felt as though I were floating. Something kept wanting to tug me away from my body, but I didn't want to go.

My stubbornness kicked in.

I suddenly became aware of voices. My brother's panicked one telling me to stay with him. Embry's voice telling me to fight. My mother's tearful one blaming herself. My father's strained tone telling my mom to knock it off. It was weird. I never could remember hearing my dad sound like that before. He sounded…scared.

I opened my mouth to speak to them. I think I might have even opened my eyes. I must have said something that made sense because the crying stopped. I closed my eyes once more and drifted back into darkness. After some time, I felt someone's presence near me.

"I've ordered another transfusion," Embry's voice said close to my ear. I heard my mom murmur a response. My eyelid was jerked open and a light was flashed into it. He then repeated the action to the other eye. I wish he'd leave me alone, I just wanted to sleep.

I felt my eyes roll a little in my head and then I was out again. My mind drifted between the world of dreams and reality. I wasn't sure how long I was like that. I was conscious of whispering from time to time, but not a lot registered. I knew my parents rarely left my side because I could sometimes hear them talking. I also picked up my brother and Meena's voices occasionally. I felt like something was missing though. I wondered where Gabe was. The voices continued, one blending into another.

And then I heard the voice of someone I recognized and I knew I was hallucinating.

"I'll kill him! I'll _fucking _kill him!"

"Ryan, calm down," my brother replied softly.

My stomach twisted. If this was a hallucination, why was Nate here? For the first time in what felt like forever I felt my eyelids flutter open. I instantly closed them again as my eyes strained from the bright light in the room. But I registered one thing. Ryan was definitely here…he was standing only a few feet away from me. A contentment I hadn't felt in years filled me.

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down, Nathaniel! He could have killed her! If you had been any later getting to her, he might have succeeded."

My drug-induced brain tried to comprehend what they were saying. I felt like it was something important, but even though I heard the words, they weren't really registering.

"I know that," Nate remarked. "But he didn't and-"

"You don't give a shit, do you?" Ryan snapped. I frowned. I'd known Ryan forever. I couldn't ever recall hearing him so upset. "You're just trying to protect Meena."

"You don't think I'm upset by this?" Nate said with such soft menace, I would have shivered if I had the energy.

"I think you're more worried about Meena's feelings," Ryan replied sardonically.

"That's enough," Nate stated authoritatively. His voice sounded strange to my ears…almost as though there were two of him speaking. Ryan didn't reply and Nate continued, "Ryan, think about it. I know you're pissed, but you wouldn't stand a chance against Gabe. He's a hybrid wolf with vampiric and Alpha powers. He can also get into your head, remember? You can't go after someone of Gabe's strength. He would destroy you before you even knew what hit you."

"Maybe you're right and I can't win against him," Ryan said in a clenched tone, as though he had to force the words past his lips. "But you can."

"Ryan," Nate sighed. "I can't do that."

"I should have known," Ryan said bitterly. "If you won't stand by me—by your own sister—then perhaps the pack will."

"No, they won't," Nate stated tiredly. "Devlin already said he won't go. He's Rachel and Paul's son and Gabriel is his cousin, in case you've forgotten. As for Seth, he was once in Jacob's pack. He'd probably still be with him right now if Jake hadn't disbanded it. I don't think you'll find him too eager to participate. Brady and Azra don't really want a shape-shifter's blood on their hands. The only one who'd probably help you is Jason Pachena and he's just a kid with zero kill experience. Furthermore, his dad is Mac. Like, Az, Brady, Seth, _and you_, he fought side by side with the Cullens during the Volturi/Renesmee confrontation years ago. Plus, Mac's a police officer who reports to Charlie Swan. You think he's going to support his son becoming a murderer? Especially when the victim is his boss's great-grandson?"

"To hell with all of you then," Ryan snapped. "I'll take care of this myself!"

"You won't touch him," my brother said firmly. His voice sounded even stranger and stronger than it had before. I heard something crash and I opened my eyes long enough to see Ryan leaning weakly against the wall, his body shaking.

My brother continued. "Ryan, you'll only get yourself killed going after him. If Gabe doesn't hurt you, you can bet your ass that the Cullens will protect him."

"So, he's going to get away with it?" Ryan spit out through gritted teeth. "It's my _right_ to go after him. Are you forgetting that? He not only violated the treaty, but he broke a pack rule as well. He attacked another wolf's imprint and that means death."

I felt myself frown as I tried once more to comprehend what they were talking about.

"He's not welcome back in Forks," Nate replied. "If he does come back, it's open season."

I heard the shuffling of feet. It sounded like someone was heading towards the room's exit.

"Ryan," Nate spoke again. "I mean it. Leave it alone for now. Don't get yourself killed over this. Not now that you're finally back."

Things started to dawn on me in that moment. Ryan was back…he could possibly die. Nothing else made sense but that. I began to panic. I had to stop him. The machine monitoring my heartbeat began to beep faster. I heard two pairs of feet rush to my bed.

"Gracie?" Nate questioned hesitantly.

"Ryan," I mumbled exhaustingly.

Something warm and comforting grabbed hold of my hand. The heat reached me even in a state of near unconsciousness.

"Grace," I heard the voice speak my name for the first time in almost three years. If this really was some vivid dream, I didn't want to wake up. I forced myself to focus.

"Don't go," I whispered, scared that he'd leave, scared that he wasn't real.

"I'm not going anywhere." I felt moist pressure on my hand, as though someone had just pressed their lips to it.

"Don't go," I repeated, feeling myself go lax as darkness began to overtake me once more.

After a moment, I heard Ryan say in a choked voice, "I shouldn't have left her. I should have stayed."

"Don't blame yourself for this, Ryan," Nate replied quietly. "You know Gracie. If you had stayed, she would have only become more hostile and standoffish with you. Your presence would've only made things worse."

"I should have been here," Ryan disagreed. Right before blackness hit me, he added, "This isn't over, Nate. Not by a long shot."

"I know," Nate whispered. It was the last thing I heard.

When I woke up again, my eyes immediately started looking for Ryan. He wasn't there. I felt a crushing weight on my chest. It wasn't real. _He_ wasn't real. Desolation filled me.

It worsened as memories began to invade my mind. I remembered getting really trashed. I also remembered almost having sex with Gabe. I frowned as I thought of something else. I was pretty sure that I'd cut myself in some lame attempt to get Gabe drunk. Horrified, I raised my arm up and saw a bandage in the area I thought I'd cut. Holy shit, it was real! I took in my surroundings. I sucked in a breath as I realized I was in a hospital. I tried to sit up but a voice stopped me.

"Don't move. You might pull out your IV."

I snapped my head to the other side of the room and saw Meena sitting in a darkened corner. I looked out the window and saw that it was night out.

"How long have I been out?" I wondered aloud, my voice raspy even to my own ears.

"You've been in and out of consciousness for almost twenty hours."

"Is…Is Ryan here?" I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Yes, he's here," Meena confirmed, causing my stomach to churn nervously. My eyes narrowed as I glanced at my brother's girlfriend. I couldn't help but notice how stiff she was acting—even more so than usual, that is.

"Where, uh, where is he?" I questioned, looking at the door entrance as though I half-expected Ryan to magically walk through it.

"The pack was called into a meeting. They found the man who gave you the Ecstasy. They're turning him over to the police right now."

"The police?" I asked, instantly worried.

"Don't worry," Meena said coolly. "Nate and Embry were able to leave your name out of it. Some kids at the party you attended confessed to buying drugs from the man."

Meena got up gracefully from her chair and walked towards the door.

"Meena, wait," I whispered.

She stopped but didn't look at me. "You need your rest. Your dad took your mom home for a little bit as your mother was exhausted, but they should be back shortly."

"How's Gabe?" I asked guiltily before she could take another step.

Fury flashed across Meena's face before it went blank. In a tight tone she said, "He's fine. He's with my mother's family right now."

"Were they mad at him?"

Meena glared at me and I shivered in slight fear at the hatred I saw burning in her eyes. Never had she reminded me more of a vampire than she did in that moment.

"No, Gracie, they weren't mad," Meena practically snarled. "You see, we're all a bunch of savages underneath the surface. With the exception of my grandmother and Great-Grandfather Carlisle, no one in the family has a clean record when it comes to preserving human life. It would have been extremely hypocritical if they turned their backs on Gabe when they've all been guilty of the same crime."

"I'm sorry, Meena," I whispered remorsefully.

Meena was by the side of my bed before I could even blink. She was shaking in her rage. I leaned down in the sheets in an attempt to get away from her. She looked inhuman…more like a predator about to pounce on its prey than like the girl I went to school with everyday. My heart monitoring machine began to beep frantically.

"What exactly are you sorry for, Gracie?" Meena asked in bridled anger. "Are you sorry that because of your childishness, you not only put yourself in danger, but my brother's life as well? Are you sorry that because of you, he's now been banished from coming anywhere near La Push? Are you sorry that your father and mine went to blows over you, causing an even bigger rift between our families? Are you sorry that if Ryan Spencer or any of the other wolves see Gabe, they have a right to rip him limb from limb because of some silly pack rule and an outdated treaty? What exactly are you sorry for?"

"For all of it," I cried, tears spilling from my eyes. I was literally trembling in fear.

She raised her chin and looked at me disdainfully. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

She turned and left seconds before Embry walked in. He glanced from me to where Meena had just disappeared. He inspected me carefully.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes," I mumbled even as tears began to spill down my cheeks. "Meena was just telling me a few home truths."

"She didn't hurt you, did she?" Embry questioned cautiously. I knew I must have looked pale after my encounter with her.

"No, she didn't," I assured him. I leaned back against my pillow and closed my eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Embry asked as he started checking the bags feeding me fluids.

"Like sh—err—crap," I murmured. I glanced up at the ceiling, trying to hold back even more tears. "I really messed up."

"Yeah, you did," Embry stated unsympathetically.

"Well, don't try to spare my feelings or anything," I replied sarcastically.

"Hey, I just tell it like it is," Embry said cheekily. "So what are you going to do?"

I sighed. "Clear Gabe's name and convince the pack not to kill him."

Embry nodded, his lips twitching in an approving smile. "I'd start with Ryan on that one."

"Yeah, right, like Ryan will listen to me," I said, thinking about how bad things had been between us when he left.

Embry chuckled softly. "I think you'll find that Ryan might be very open to anything when it comes to you."

Embry checked the machines one more time and declared me on the mend. After he left, my cousin Claire came in. Her father, Ronnie, was my mom's brother. Claire had lived with us for a few years when she was a teenager. I always thought of her more as a cooler older sister than a cousin.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "It's got to be late."

Claire nodded. "Just past 10 pm"

I looked at her gently rounded belly. Claire was four months pregnant.

"Look," I said. "You don't have to be here. You need your rest."

Claire rolled her eyes. "I'm not an invalid. I'm perfectly capable of staying with you until the pack returns. How are you doing?"

"I…" That was as far as I got before I started sobbing. Claire didn't judge or lecture. She just got up from where she was sitting and sat on the bed next to me, hugging me close until I quieted down.

"Feel better?" she asked once I was through. I sniffed and nodded. She smiled and said, "Good. Gracie, promise me something."

"Okay," I said, giving her a wobbly smile.

"If you ever need to talk, you come to me. I've gone through what you've gone through…well, maybe not to the point where I was waving my bloody arm in front of a vampire-"

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. "Oh, God, I was so stupid, Claire."

"Well…yeah, you were," she said with a smile in her voice. "But you'll make it better, I know you will."

"How do you know?" I wondered at her confidence.

"Because, darling girl, you are the product of two of the strongest people I know. Failure doesn't run in your veins. You'll fix this."

I sniffed again before whispering, "Thanks, Claire."

She pushed a strand of wet hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear before resuming her spot on the chair next to my bed.

"So," I asked. "How are things coming along with the pregnancy?"

"Good," Claire beamed. "Things are right on track."

"Do you know what you're having yet?"

"Nope," Claire said, rubbing her belly lightly. "We're going to be surprised."

"Well, what do you want, a boy or a girl?"

"You know," she replied. "I really don't care. I just want my baby to be safe and healthy."

"What does Quil want?" I wondered.

Claire laughed. "A boy, definitely."

"Does he want someone to carry on the Ateara name or something?" I asked.

"No, he doesn't want to have to deal with another…" Claire paused, her face flushing suddenly. "He, uh, he has his hands full with Kayley."

I giggled. "Oh, I get it. Quil's worried about his little girl growing up and dating, right?"

Claire smiled weakly. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well, it's a good thing that Brady is around her so much," I said, thinking of the wolf that could be found constantly hovering over my little cousin, always worrying about her safety. "If Brady keeps that overbearing behavior up, Quil won't have to worry about her dating anyone. The guys will be too intimidated to ask her out."

"Yeah," Claire laughed feebly before changing the subject. "Lindsey, Rebecca Call, and I are going to have a baby shower together in a few months. You'll come, right?"

"Of course," I assured her.

Lindsey was Collin's wife. She had gotten pregnant right around the time Claire had. Rebecca was two months behind the other two. While Rebecca and Claire both already had children, this was Lindsey's first. I knew Collin was freaking stoked about it. I had gotten to know him and Lindsey both pretty well when Claire was living with us. Lindsey was Claire's best friend since childhood and had stayed with us quite a bit when we were younger. She was a great person, and I couldn't say enough good things about Collin. He was sarcastic, hilarious, and I liked him a lot…even if he _was_ a retired wolf.

I yawned and shifted slightly. Claire leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"I'm going to let you get some rest," she whispered. "I'll see you later."

"M'kay," I murmured, my eyes drifting closed.

When I woke up again, it was bright outside. I felt a lot less groggy and more determined than ever. I needed to fix things. I was about to grab the phone next to my bed and call my brother to grovel, when my father walked in. He came over and kissed me on the forehead.

"Hey," I said. "Where's Mom?"

"I'll get to that in a minute," my dad responded. "How are you feeling today?"

"A lot better," I answered. "Dad, how much longer do I have to be here?"

"Embry said you might get to go home tomorrow. He wants to keep you on your IV today though."

I looked at my dad and then quickly glanced away.

"I'm sorry," I whispered meekly. "Meena said you got in a fight with Jacob Black."

"Yeah, well," my father remarked, sitting down in the chair next to my bed. "We were all a little upset yesterday."

"Dad, the pack hasn't gone after Gabe, have they?"

"What do you know about that?"

I frowned and thought about everything I'd overheard recently. I tried to think about Ryan and Nate's conversation, but all I remembered was a feeling of fear. "Meena mentioned that Gabe had to leave La Push. It wasn't his fault though."

"You and Meena must have had quite the talk," my dad said through narrowed eyes.

I shrugged. "She just reminded me of how stupid I'd acted."

"Yeah," my father agreed. "What the hell were you thinking, Gracie?"

"I…I don't know," I said shamefully. "But, Dad, it wasn't Gabe's fault. Can you tell the pack that?"

"What exactly happened? Do you remember?"

My face flamed, but I didn't feel like this was the time to lie. Both Gabe and Ryan's safety was on the line.

"I got really drunk and told Gabe he needed to live a little and get drunk too. He said alcohol didn't affect him. I figured if he drank the alcohol directly from my bloodstream, it might have a stronger effect, so I grabbed a knife and cut my arm. It was a stupid idea."

"Not to mention a dangerous one," my father snapped, his temper finally letting loose. "Why the hell would you do that, Gracie? Why would you wave fresh blood in front of a kid who's part vampire? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"No," I whispered. "I just didn't think-"

"You're damn right you didn't think," my dad spurted, getting up from his chair and pacing. He added angrily, "It probably had a lot to do with the Ecstasy in your system."

I looked down at my sheets and begin to pick at a frayed edge. I couldn't respond. I never figured my New Year's would end up like this, with me in the hospital and Gabe on the run. My father stopped pacing and turned to look at me. Something on his face filled me with sickening dread.

"Your mother and I have tried to make excuses for your behavior. We knew that you were acting out because of the im-" He stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "…because of whatever reason you thought was so important. We understood you were upset when you learned the secrets of the pack. But you've gone too far this time, Gracie. Gabriel Black can never come back to La Push now because of what you did."

"That's not fair though, Dad," I pleaded. "I was the one who offered him my blood."

"Right, so he could get high like you," my father said in disgust. My dad and I had always had our differences, but it made me feel weepy to see the disappointment that was currently on his face.

He continued, "Your mother and I talked this over and we've decided to make some new rules when it comes to you. First off, your choice in friends leaves a lot to be desired. From now on, you're not to have anything more to do with those people, Gracie. If I smell one whiff of them on you, I'll-"

"You'll what?" I asked, the defiant creature inside me rearing its moronic head. "Send me to military school?"

My dad's eyes narrowed as he clenched the railing at the side of my bed. He leaned towards me so that our faces were only six inches or so apart. I could clearly read the seriousness in his expression.

"Oh no, Gracie Emeline," he replied with quiet intent. "That would be far too easy. What I'll do is yank your ass out of school and confine you to the house. You'll be homeschooled and have nothing but the pack for company."

I wisely kept my mouth shut at this new threat. My father smiled in victory before he leaned back.

"You're also going to enroll in a 12-step program," he informed me.

"What? Why?" I asked angrily.

"Because your blood alcohol count was over three times the legal limit and you were high on Ecstasy."

"I don't do it all the time," I tried to defend myself. "It was only because it was New Year's."

"I don't give a shit if it was one time or fifty times," my father responded, folding his arms over his chest in an intimidating manner. "You're going to get help before this turns into an even bigger problem than it already has. Your mother is signing you up as we speak."

"This is ridiculous," I grumbled.

"Ridiculous or not, that's the deal. From now on, you go to school, you come home directly afterwards, and then you go to recovery meetings. The pack will keep an eye on you at school. If you're caught hanging around those kids again or renege on your counseling, I'm pulling you out of school."

"Fine," I choked out, even as I felt tears seep from the corners of my eyes and trickle down my cheeks.

"Oh…and one more thing," my dad said. "Your attitude and conduct towards the members of the pack has been intolerable. You've been rude, sarcastic, and cruel, and none of them deserve it. You need to grow up and realize that not everything is about you all the damn time. Instead of feeling ashamed of them, you should feel proud…proud of a heritage that is like none other in the world. I understand that you were initially afraid of them, but every single one of them would die before letting anything happen to you. And in all the time you've known about them, not one of them has laid a finger on you. It's time for you to start showing respect for them and your heritage. So when you're not in school or in counseling, you're going to help your Grandma Uley organize the annual Quileute Cultural Appreciation Day event. You're also going to spend some time working on a campaign that was important to Claire when she lived with us, the _Save the Olympic Wolf _campaign."

"Is that it?" I bit out sarcastically.

My dad looked thoughtful for a minute before nodding. "Yes, that's it."

I leaned back against my pillow and looked up at the ceiling. "Okay."

I had to admit, I thought I was getting off pretty light considering the police could have been involved and I effectively destroyed Gabriel Black's life. Besides, I would do and say anything my family wanted right now, so long as it helped Gabe in the end.

My dad's shoulders sagged at my easy acceptance. He came back over and hugged me briefly before heading for the room's exit. He paused before he opened the door.

"Gracie, we're only doing this because we love you," my dad said gently. "You have no idea how much you mean to all of us. You might not value your life, but we do."

He opened the door and went through it, closing it softly behind him. Great. My parents thought I was some crack whore now who didn't give a shit about my own life. I rolled on my side as carefully as I could with all the numerous wires attached to me and began to cry. I closed my eyes and fell into a turbulent sleep. When I woke up, I was alone, but there was a note on the table next to me from my mother. It said that my family had gone to dinner and would be back by 7 pm. There was no mention of Ryan. Where was he?

Biting my lip, I looked at the clock on the wall opposite me. It was 6:30 pm right now. I needed to make a phone call. Grabbing the hospital phone near my bed, I dialed a number I knew by heart.

"Hello," Gabe's lifeless voice answered.

"Gabe!" I exclaimed.

"Gracie," Gabe replied. "Oh God, I've been going out of my mind…"

"Gabe, I'm so sorry," I interrupted.

"What are you sorry for?" he asked, his voice dead again. "I'm the one who almost killed you."

"You wouldn't have even been tempted if it weren't for me. I was so stupid," I told him. "But I'm going to fix this and-"

"No, Gracie," Gabe replied quietly.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no, don't bother. I'm not coming back to La Push."

"But you have to, your family is here."

"My parents are thinking about moving back near my grandparents once Meena graduates from school. I guess it depends on if Meena goes to college or not. Either way, I'm better off with my vampire family. I'm too dangerous to be around humans."

"Stop being such a defeatist," I snapped. "You were doing fine. It was my fault. I'm poison to everyone I get near."

"Gracie, it's for the best," Gabe said in a monotone voice. "It would be better for all of us if I wasn't there. There's too much tension between Nate and me as it is. Now…after everything that's happened, the pack has the right to come after me. I need to stay away. To be honest, I want to. You were the only thing that made life in La Push tolerable. I thought school and life on the rez would be better. But I was just as much an outcast there as I was back in Vermont. I _want _to be with my Cullen family, Gracie. I'm happier with them. I mean, I showed up on their doorstep, reeking of human blood, and they didn't judge me or look down on me. They embraced me. This is where I want to be."

"I'm not going to give up though," I whispered with determination. "Whether you want to come back here or not, I'm not going to rest until I clear your name."

Gabe chuckled sadly. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? You're just going to piss people off."

I laughed.

"And that will be different than normal, how? Stubborn or not, it's the right thing to do," I told him before hesitantly adding, "I love you, Gabriel Black."

It was true, too. I did love him. He was a dear friend, not to mention an amazing kisser. Sadly though, I just wasn't _in_ love with him. Before Gabe could respond, the phone was ripped out of my hand. I looked in surprise and then gasped when I saw Ryan's shaking figure standing next to my bed.

"Gabriel, this is Ryan Spencer," Ryan said into the phone. "Nate might have let you off the hook, but I haven't. If you even _think_ about communicating or approaching Gracie again, I'll find you and rip out your fucking heart. Understand?"

Before he gave Gabe a chance to reply, he slammed the phone down. Shock kept me silent for all of two seconds before my natural temper kicked in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelled.

"What the hell do you mean you love him?" Ryan snapped back.

"Explain to me how that's any of your business," I responded angrily. "You've been out of my life for almost three years. Then you come back, start pushing your weight around like you always do, and you think you have that right?"

Ryan looked like he wanted to shake me before he inexplicably laughed.

"God, I've missed you," he said with a smile.

I was about to say something really pissy, but I got completely distracted when I saw the flash of his white teeth against his russet skin. I took a moment to really look at Ryan with a clear head. What I saw pissed me off.

Ryan was…well, he was beautiful. I always thought he was cute before, but in a friend kind of way. I never saw him as the breathtaking stranger before me. I felt like I was seeing him for the first time. Had his eyes always crinkled in the corners like that when he smiled? Had there always been that adorable dimple in his one cheek? And he must have switched aftershave or something because I never remembered him smelling so good. Where was the Ryan of my childhood? What—or more importantly who—had changed him into the attractive man I saw before me? Jealousy and anger began to rage inside me.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?" I asked bitchily. "Aren't you supposed to be living it up with some skank in D.C.?"

"I heard you were in trouble so-"

"You dropped everything for little old me? I'm touched," I said sarcastically.

Okay, so not exactly how I planned our reunion when I pictured it over and over again in my head. But I also never pictured Ryan being so distractingly gorgeous either. The idea of him dating anyone filled me with a bitter fury. Granted, I'd had sex with Zack and almost slept with Gabe, but that was beside the point. They hadn't turned me into someone unrecognizable!

"Well," I continued. "You've done your good deed and checked in on me after all this time. Good job. Now run along."

For a minute, I wondered if Ryan was going to lose it. His body snapped straight and his face flashed angrily. Memories of the night I pushed him too far reeled through my mind…along with his kiss. My mouth parted slightly in anticipation. His eyes zoned in on my mouth before he met my stare.

"Sorry, Gracie, but I'm not going anywhere," Ryan stated firmly.

"You're staying?" I questioned, trying to act like I didn't care.

"I'm staying," he confirmed.

"Well, I hope you're not planning to interfere with my life while you're back," I told him, trying to bury the sudden happiness I felt by looking pointedly at the phone. "You don't control me or who I hang out with."

"Yeah Princess, you've done such a bang up job with your life since I left. Drinking, sleeping around, taking drugs. Someone needs to step in before you self-destruct."

That stung. I'd had a lot of people's opinions thrown at me since Ryan had left, but I'd never really given a damn. Ryan's criticism hurt, more than I wanted to admit. Not only that, but I felt humiliated that the intimate details of my life had obviously been reported to him.

"Who the fuck are you to judge me?" I snapped, even as betraying tears streamed down my cheeks. "You weren't even here. How dare you look down on me!"

"You're right," Ryan admitted quietly. "But that's all going to change now."

"I don't want you here," I said tersely. Ryan looked devastated for a moment before his face hardened.

"Tough shit," he replied before pulling a chair that was in the room closer to my bed. "You might not want me here, but you need me."

"Wow! Can you possibly get any more full of yourself?" I remarked snidely.

Ryan smirked as he sat down with an arrogant air. I watched as he casually put his hands behind his head. He looked relaxed and happy even after the ugliness of our exchange. Apparently, he didn't give a shit what I thought of him.

"So aside from the sex, drugs, and vampires, how've you been?" Ryan asked. Even though he sounded annoyingly cheerful, I didn't miss the menacing glint that darkened his eyes momentarily.

I looked at him as though _he_ were the one who'd recently ingested drugs. Ryan chuckled in response. The sound made me feel suddenly light-hearted. In response to his question, I raised my arm up and showed him the bandaged area where I'd cut myself.

"Uh, I'm in a hospital," I reminded him, though it didn't come out nearly as sarcastic as I wanted it to.

Ryan gave me a smile that made my heart race. My face heated as the machine monitoring my heart rate beeped noticeably faster.

"Well, I'm glad I came back when I did," Ryan said, moving his hands so that he could steeple them together and rest them against his chest.

I raised my chin defiantly. "Why is that?"

Ryan looked at me in surprise. "Because your seventeenth birthday is in a few weeks, and seeing as I've missed the last two, I really didn't want to miss this one."

"Yeah, because I'm sure you really gave me a second thought while you were away."

"Grace, you have no idea, do you?" Ryan asked, sitting up in his chair with a frown. "You seriously have no idea? I thought Gabe might have said something-"

"What are you talking about?" I questioned. "What does Gabe know that I don't?"

Ryan seemed to hesitate, his eyes carefully assessing me, before he shook his head. "Just something to do with the pack."

Before I could question him further, my mom walked into the room holding a chocolate milkshake, which I assumed was for me.

"Gracie, Embry said I could give you-" She stopped when she saw Ryan. Her eyes widened as she looked from me to him. "Ryan, hey. I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in here."

"That's okay, Emily," Ryan said, getting up from his chair and offering his seat to my mother. "We're done talking for now."

He started walking towards the door and I panicked.

"Ryan, about Gabe…"

"Oh yeah," Ryan said stiffly. "You never did answer my question earlier."

He suddenly looked pissed again. I glanced at my mom. She was staring out the window, obviously uncomfortable. I turned my attention back to Ryan.

"The answer is no," I said, responding to his query as to whether I was in love with Gabe or not. I saw Ryan's shoulders relax and decided to push my luck. "You won't hurt him, right?"

Ryan's face instantly hardened. "I can't promise that."

"Ryan, please," I begged. "It wasn't his fault. It was mine."

Ryan forced a sickly smile on his face. "Get some rest, Grace."

As he reached for the door handle, I asked, "You'll be back soon, right?"

I silently cursed myself for showing even the slightest interest, but I couldn't look away from him as I waited for his answer.

"Yeah," Ryan responded, his face suddenly more serious than I'd ever seen it. "You and I have a lot to discuss still."

He turned and left the room, leaving me to wonder what the hell that was about.

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Ryan's back! LOL, I can't wait to read your reactions on this one. **Please review!**


	15. Misery Loves Company

**Author's Note**

I just discovered that Quil's story placed first in the Curiosity…Killed The Cat contest which took place back in March. I'm really sorry I never acknowledged or thanked you guys for voting for me. I didn't even realize voting took place, lol. So though it's horribly belated, thank you.

Also, I've had a lot of people ask me about **Gabe** so I thought I'd tell you some of things I have planned for this story. The next few chapters after this one are going to focus on Ryan and Gracie. Gabe is going to stay out of the picture for now, but he's still going to be very relevant. I have a ton of story left to tell, and one of the things I'll be covering is what happens with his character. Now just to remind you, as I mentioned in the first chapter, Stormy is going to take some really dark twists. The only thing I can tell you is that this story will NOT contain sexual assault of any kind. Everything else is a possibility. So think angst and dark drama.

LOL, I'll shut up now and let you get to reading…

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_The miserable have no other medicine but only hope._

_William Shakespeare_

_Measure for Measure_

**Chapter 15 – Misery Loves Company**

_January 16, 2026 – January 24, 2026_

Nate's POV

I rolled over in my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I felt…off. I'd been feeling that way for the past couple of weeks, ever since Gracie was injured on New Year's Eve.

My sister was back to her normal cantankerous self, so I knew she wasn't the cause of my restlessness. No, I was worried about Meena. She was miserable without her twin though she did her best to hide it. Every time I asked her to talk to me, she'd give me a smile and say everything was fine.

I didn't understand why she felt the need to hide how she was feeling. I sometimes didn't think she understood how completely connected I was to her. I knew her every emotion just by the way she breathed.

Maybe she thought she was sparing me because she already knew I had a lot going on with the pack. While the guys were happy that Ryan was back, he brought with him a tension that wasn't there before. He was pissed that none of the other wolves would support his decision to go after Gabe. We'd had a meeting while Gracie was still in the hospital. The conversation had been heated as we debated the best course of action to take. With the exception of Ryan, we all agreed that both Gabe and Gracie were at fault for what had happened.

Ryan, of course, blamed Gabe entirely, which was why I ended up going to Jacob Black, informing him that we wouldn't retaliate as long as Gabe stayed away from La Push. I didn't do it to punish Gabe. I did it for the safety of my pack. Ryan's emotions were too unstable. If Gabriel showed his face in the area, Ryan would attack him, and I had no doubt in my mind that Gabe would win. Which meant that Ryan would most likely end up dead. To lose a fellow wolf would bring unbearable pain to all of us, not to mention what it would do to my sister. And if Gabe _did_ kill a member of my pack, no matter what his reasons, the rest of the wolves wouldn't hesitate to go after him, myself included.

Pushing my unhappy thoughts to the back of my mind, I made myself get out of bed and get dressed for school. I could hear my mom and sister discussing Gracie's birthday party, which was going to happen the following weekend. I was kind of surprised they were even having it after everything that had gone down recently. But my mother wanted something light and upbeat to happen in our lives, and she was going after it like a vampire desperate for blood.

I was pretty sure she was the only one who wanted this party. My father didn't think it was exactly in good taste to have one so soon after their daughter had begun counseling for drug use. Gracie didn't want it because she couldn't invite any of her friends. She also had gotten good at avoiding people who knew what had happened the night she got hurt. For once in her life, I think Gracie actually felt ashamed of her actions. She didn't want to face people. As for me, I didn't want to attend something that was going to be long and drawn out. I hadn't missed that there was a new tension between Gracie and Meena lately. People were expecting Meena to be at the party. I didn't want my imprint and my sibling to have to be forced to be together until tempers cooled off some more.

Walking downstairs, I headed towards the kitchen for breakfast and found Ryan sitting at the table, sipping a cup of coffee. Though he tried very hard not to make it too obvious, I knew he was watching Gracie out of the corner of his eye while she argued with our mother. I grabbed a bowl of _Kellogg's Corn Flakes_ and sat down to eat.

"I don't understand why we're even having this party," Gracie grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because the invitations already went out and we booked the rez's community center weeks ago," my mother said simply as she stirred blueberry muffin mix in a bowl.

"But I can't even invite any of my friends," Gracie complained

"I'll be there," Ryan remarked in a flirtatious tone, his eyebrows rising up and down a few times.

"Spectacular," Gracie snapped. "My world can spin again."

"Ah darling," Ryan said dryly. "I didn't know I could move your world. I'm flattered."

I snorted into my cereal, while my mom fought very hard to keep her face straight. Gracie's eyes narrowed. If looks could kill, Ryan would have been a dead man. Instead, he winked at her and got up from where he was sitting, walking over to her slowly. I shifted uncomfortably as I heard Gracie's heart began to race.

If he was about to kiss her, I was out of here. Gracie was old enough now that her relationship with Ryan was probably going to develop into something more than friendship. That was the natural next step in the imprint…for them to fall in love. I understood that, but she was still my sister and I didn't want to see this crap. I watched as Ryan reached out and put his hands on Gracie's hips. My mom turned away and began to hum loudly, as though that would suddenly give them privacy. I continued to shovel cereal in my mouth, chewing loudly in an effort to block out whatever was about to happen. Ryan leaned in until he was inches away from Gracie's face. I turned my head away when I saw Gracie's eyes widen.

"Excuse me, Grace," I heard Ryan say softly.

I glanced back just as Ryan physically moved Gracie from where she'd been standing in front of the refrigerator so that he could reach inside it for some coffee creamer. Gracie looked…put out. I let out a chuckle which I quickly tried to cover with a cough. Talk about cold.

Ryan grabbed the creamer and walked back over to the kitchen table with a satisfied smirk on his face. Gracie's expression became glacial. She turned her attention back to our mom, deciding to ignore Ryan.

"Can I at least invite Zack?" Gracie asked of her ex-boyfriend just as Ryan was about to take a sip of his coffee. He jerked, causing it to spill slightly. Swearing quietly, he wiped at it with his hand. Gracie's face turned angelic.

"I thought you didn't have anything to do with him anymore," our mother said with a frown.

"We're still friends…sort of," Gracie remarked. "Besides he wasn't even at the New Year's party. I wouldn't be breaking any of your imposed rules by inviting him."

"I don't think it would be a good idea," my mother replied after some hesitation.

"Can you at least talk it over with Dad?" Gracie begged. Our father had already left for work. As he was never Zack's biggest fan, I didn't see how Gracie thought it would help her cause by discussing it with him.

Our mother shook her head. "I'm sorry, Gracie, but the answer is no."

"This is ridiculous," Gracie complained. Turning on her heel, she left the kitchen and went stomping up the stairs to her room, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

"Ryan," my mom said sympathetically. "I'm so sorry about that. I didn't even know she still spoke to Zack."

"Forget it," Ryan said, giving my mother a strained smile. "Imprints are free to choose their own path after all."

My mom went over and patted his cheek gently with one hand. "My daughter is too stubborn to see that you're the right choice. Just don't give up on her, hmm?"

"Never have," Ryan said in a more determined tone. "Even when I wasn't here, I was just biding my time. Speaking of…"

He looked at me. "I need to go back to D.C. for a bit. As soon as I felt Gracie was in danger, I hopped on the first plane I could and headed here. I need to go back and take care of some things."

I nodded in understanding. "How long will you be gone?"

"Only a week. I want to make sure I'm back in time for Grace's birthday party."

"You find a job here yet?" I wondered.

Ryan shrugged. "Quil offered me my former job at his garage, but I don't know. My dad said he could use his connections to get me a government job in the area. I'm debating whether to take it. I'd feel awkward accepting another one of his handouts. He was the reason I got my job in D.C. in the first place. I really liked what I was doing though. I worked in the Indian Affairs office. I felt like I was really making a difference for the people who live on the different reservations in the country."

"And you can't do your job here?" my mother asked.

"To do the same job, I'd have to go back to college. The only schooling I have is for auto repair."

"So do it," I said. "What's stopping you?"

Ryan shifted and glanced towards the ceiling where we could hear Gracie still stomping around as she got ready for school.

"Ryan, you should do something that makes you happy," my mom stated. "Gracie's got another year of high school left. You could attend college and still try to woo my daughter."

"C'mon, Em," Ryan said, faintly embarrassed. "Gracie and I are just friends. There's no need for me to 'woo' her."

"Mmhmm, sure," my mom said innocently. "Sam and I are just friends too. Completely platonic, in fact. No sex, no flirting…nothing."

"Oh God," I whined, covering my ears with my hands. "Please don't ever mention you, Dad, and sex in the same sentence again."

My mother rolled her eyes at me before continuing to speak to Ryan, "I don't think any of us are blind here. We all know that your relationship with Gracie is changing. Don't pull a Quil and realize that _after_ Gracie has gone off to college."

Ryan frowned before he looked towards the ceiling again. I could hear Gracie in the hallway heading towards the stairs. Ryan looked so torn, I took pity on him.

"Did you find a place to live yet, or are you still checked into the hotel in Forks?"

"Azra's loaning me his couch for now. I'll find something more permanent once I know what I'm going to do for income," Ryan replied, before looking down at his watch and sighing. "I guess I should get going so I don't miss my flight."

"You're leaving?" Gracie came flying down the stairs, hurrying over to Ryan. He reached up and tenderly nudged her chin with his hand before running his thumb briefly over it. I felt like I was witnessing something intimate so I averted my eyes, getting up to put my cereal bowl in the dishwasher.

"Just for a week," Ryan explained. "I've got something to take care of back in D.C."

I glanced back at Gracie in time to see her face become disapproving. "Oh, that's right. You've still got your girlfriend you have to see. I'm surprised you were able to tear yourself away from her for this long."

Ryan's shoulders hunched slightly as though he suddenly had the weight of the world on them.

"As I said," Ryan said through clenched teeth. I had to admire his control. "I've got things I need to take care of before I can get settled here."

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Ryan," Gracie said snootily. "In case I don't see you again, have a nice life."

She took a few steps away from him. Ryan mirrored her movement so that there was no space between them.

"Oh, I'll be back, Grace. I promise you that."

Before any of us could guess what he was going to do, Ryan pulled Gracie to him. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, which was an innocent enough gesture except for the way his eyes closed as he pressed his lips to Gracie's skin. For a moment he looked in sheer agony, though I didn't know if it was because he was about to leave his imprint again, or because his imprint was a pain in the ass. Finally pulling away from her, he gave her a cocky wink before nodding at me and my mother. He walked out the front door without another glance back.

"Jerk," Gracie muttered, though she was sporting a slightly dazed expression.

Chuckling, I ran upstairs and grabbed my backpack. Gracie and I hurried out to my Chevelle and drove to school in silence, which was unusual. The past couple of weeks since Gracie got out of the hospital, she always filled our drives with incessant complaints about not being able to hang out with her friends.

As soon as we got to school, I searched for Meena. I found her putting some books in her locker. As I stared at her profile, I didn't miss the dark circles under her eyes. Going up behind her, I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her to me, kissing her on the side of her neck.

"Hey," she said, turning so that she was facing me, lightly brushing her lips against mine.

"When did you last hunt?" I asked quietly as I examined the pallor to her skin. I felt myself frown when she merely shrugged in response. "Meena, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Starving yourself isn't going to get you anywhere."

"I'm not starving myself," she replied, instantly defensive.

"But you don't remember when you hunted last?" I accused. "You can't do that."

"Don't tell me what I can't do," Meena snapped before looking instantly remorseful. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken so rudely."

"You're hungry. You're going to make yourself sick," I told her worriedly. "You shouldn't even be around people right now."

"Oh, that's right," Meena retorted, getting upset again. "I forgot. I'm part Cullen, which means of course I'm a monster. Everybody in this hall better watch out. I might go crazy and kill them all."

"Meena, that's not what I meant and you know it," I responded, trying not to get frustrated. "Listen, I've got to drop Gracie off at her counselor's after school, and then I'm scheduled to work for Sue at the supply store for a few hours, but afterwards, why don't you and I go hunt?"

"Forget it," Meena said, grabbing a book from her locker, before heading down the hallway.

"But you-" I tried to say as I followed her.

"I don't need a babysitter, Nate," Meena stated heatedly. "I've been hunting on my own since I was a kid. I don't need you there, all right?"

"Fine," I answered. I figured at this point it would be better to just be quiet.

I went to my locker and grabbed what I needed before heading to class. Entering the room, I sighed as I saw Meena sitting at our table with a tense expression. Trying not to feel hurt over her behavior, I sat down next to her. She didn't even acknowledge me. Rafe came in and started his lecture. I noticed him look over at us with concern a few times while he spoke. Though he was a retired wolf, it must have been pretty obvious that there was something wrong between me and my imprint. As soon as the bell rang indicating that class was over, Meena got up and hurried out. I strolled slowly after her, trying to figure out what the hell I had done to piss her off so badly.

Was this solely about Gabe? Did she expect me to say he was welcome back here? She was out of her damned mind if she thought that. I trembled slightly as I felt anger course through me.

"Everything okay?" Rafe asked as I walked by his desk. I took a deep breath and felt myself calm down.

"Yeah," I told him. I didn't feel like getting into it at the moment.

I kept silent for the rest of the day, observing Meena when I could. She looked miserable and any lingering frustration I felt dissipated. I badly wanted to comfort her, but I was afraid she'd just reject me again. But I literally couldn't stand to see her like this either. After school, I caught up with her right before she could get into her red MINI Cooper. Jake and Ness had bought it for her after Gabe had taken the other car up to Canada.

"Meena, wait," I said, grabbing her by the arm and swinging her around to face me.

"What?" she asked, her face looking tired.

I cupped both of her cheeks in my palms and rested my forehead against hers. "Tell me what's wrong. Please."

She shook her head and I let out an exhausted breath. I pulled back so that I could look into her eyes. A tear spilled down one of her cheeks. I bent my head so that I could kiss it away. She shivered slightly at my touch.

"Please talk to me," I begged again.

"It's Gabe, okay," Meena said stiffly. "He keeps trying to get a hold of me. He's even resorted to using our twin telepathy. He's miserable. And he and Grandfather have been fighting."

"He's been fighting with Edward?" I asked in surprise. I couldn't imagine Edward fighting with anyone. Lecturing sure, but not fighting.

"Well…" Meena replied, looking hesitant before saying, "You see, last year Gabe fell in love with a family friend…a vampire. Our grandfather thought Tanya was just using my brother and they got into a huge fight, alienating Tanya and her family. Gabe was furious with Grandfather for interfering and they haven't ever made up."

I took a step back and frowned at her. "Meena, I'm not stopping you from having a relationship with your brother. You can call him, you know?"

"I know," Meena responded. "I just can't do it right now. He and Gracie both acted foolishly. So much damage has been done because of them."

"Yeah," I said quietly before pulling her into a hug. "But think about calling him anyway, okay? I hate seeing you suffer."

"I'll think about it," Meena assured me. We kissed goodbye and I watched her drive off.

The next week flew by and before I knew it, the day of Gracie's party was upon us. I headed over to the community center early in the morning to help my dad with the decorations, while my mom stayed at the house to cook. Meena showed up, wearing black slacks and a purple sweater that hung halfway off her shoulder.

"You look great," I told her, kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Thanks," she replied before looking around. "So what can I do to help?"

"Meena, can you wrap these lights around the trees over there?" my dad asked, pointing to some indoor plants.

"Sure," Meena said, taking the lights from him and getting to work.

After about an hour, everything was ready to go. I knew a lot of pack members and their families were coming to the party along with my mom's family from Makah and my Grandma Uley. Gracie and my mom entered the building with Claire and Quil, and Claire's friend Lindsey, along with her husband Collin. They were all carrying trays of food with them. Gracie dropped the food off in the kitchen before coming into the main hall.

"Looks nice in here," she said, her eyes pausing as she glanced at Meena. "Thanks."

"Happy birthday, Gracie," Meena said stiffly.

Someone called Gracie's name and she quickly hurried away from us. A short time later, the party was in full swing. I knew that Gracie kept discreetly looking for Ryan, who hadn't shown up yet.

Meena and I were talking to Devlin and my newest wolf, Jason, when she excused herself to use the restroom. As I waited for her, I saw some new arrivals enter the room. To my surprise, Gracie's godmother, Leah Clearwater-Gordon, was one of them. Leah wasn't a huge fan of La Push. I could count on one hand how many times she'd been back here in my lifetime. She was holding her youngest son, Julian, in one arm while grasping her husband's hand with her other.

"Leah," my mom practically screamed as she greeted her cousin. "I'm so excited you're here."

"Well, I didn't want to miss my god-daughter's big birthday celebration. And we thought we'd stop by and see Jacob and Ness while we're here. I haven't seen them in forever." Leah looked around as though expecting Jake to suddenly appear in front of her. Leah was Jake's beta. They had a close brotherly/sisterly type relationship, and though they didn't see each other often, Meena said they stayed in contact over the years.

"I don't think he's going to make it," my mom said remorsefully.

"He and Sam fighting again?" Leah asked.

"Something like that," my mother responded before looking at Leah's children. "Oh my God, I can't believe how big your kids have gotten."

"I know," Leah said proudly. "Henry here is almost nine going on thirty. And Lilly's going to be twelve this year. My babies are getting so big."

Lilly's face blushed delicately as I heard her mutter, "Mom, stop."

Leah snickered before turning to look adoringly at her husband. "You remember Dylan, right?"

"Yes," my mom replied, giving Dylan a hug. "It's great to see you again."

"Thanks, you too," Dylan said, kissing my mom's scarred cheek without any hesitation. That move right there earned Dylan bonus points as far as I was concerned. I'd always liked him. Granted, I didn't have very many memories of him, but I knew Dylan was a pretty cool guy who was into computers…something I'd been interested in since I was a kid.

"Is that Leah?" Meena asked, appearing by my side.

"Yeah, have you met her before?" I questioned.

"I think maybe when I was a toddler."

I grabbed her hand and led her over to the group.

"Nate, hey," Leah said when she saw me, giving me a hug. "You remember my family?"

She re-introduced me to each member. I noticed Lilly blush shyly when I said hello to her. All of Leah's kids looked a lot like her, though Lilly's eyes were a dark shade of blue instead of brown. She must have inherited that from Dylan's side of the family.

"This is Meena," I said proudly, wrapping my arm around my imprint's waist.

"Meena Black?" Leah asked. When Meena nodded, Leah shrieked, giving her a hug. "Damn, I haven't seen you since you were practically a baby. You've grown up to be so gorgeous. Thank goodness you take more after your mother. I'd hate for you to get stuck with Jake's ugly mug."

Meena laughed and hugged Leah back. "It's nice to see you again."

For the first time all evening, I felt Meena completely relax. It dawned on me that Leah was the first person Meena had encountered in La Push who was unquestioningly, unfailingly on Jacob's side. Leah would and could kick anyone's ass who dared to insult the Blacks in her presence.

My mom, Leah, and Lilly eventually broke away to sit down at one of the tables to talk more in depth. They kept laughing at Julian who was trying to break free from his mother's hold. My father and Quil went over to socialize with Dylan and Henry. Embry Call and his son, Luke, soon joined them. Luke and Henry were about the same age. In no time at all, they started whispering and giggling before running off somewhere together, most likely to cause mischief. I turned to say something to Meena, but saw her staring at Lilly who was now cuddling Julian.

"What is it?" I asked, wanting to know why she suddenly looked so thoughtful. She gave me a pained smile.

"Nothing," she replied. "I was just reminded of Gabe."

I sighed and pulled her in for a hug. "Call him."

She pulled away, her eyes wide. "No."

I leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I know that Gracie's talked to him a couple of times since leaving the hospital. Just call him and put us all out of misery."

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and handed it to her. Biting her lip, she reached for it and dialed a number. A few minutes later, I heard Gabe's voice. Not wanting to intrude, I kissed the temple area of her forehead and made my way to the bathrooms. As I was leaving them, I stepped into the hallway and practically ran over Ryan and Gracie. Not that they seemed to notice me. Ryan must have just come in because he was still wearing his coat and looked exhausted.

"You came back, huh?" Gracie said disdainfully.

"I told you that I was back for good. But as I explained, I had some things to do in D.C."

"Like your girlfriend."

Ryan looked sick for a moment. "Gracie, about that-"

"I don't want to hear about it," Gracie snapped. "It's none of my business."

She turned around and walked out of the area. Ryan looked forlorn before he noticed me standing there.

"Oh…hey Nate."

"Hey," I said. "You all set in D.C.?"

"Yep, my stuff is going to be shipped here in a few days, and I was able to tie up some loose ends with my job."

"How'd it go with the girlfriend?"

Ryan shrugged. "She threw a tantrum when I told her it was over, but I didn't expect anything less."

"Well, I'm glad you made it back in time. Gracie's been watching the entrance like a hawk all evening."

Ryan's face brightened immediately. Chuckling, I made my way back to Meena who was looking much happier.

"Everything go all right?" I had to ask.

"He seems to be doing pretty good. He's spending a lot of time with Uncle Emmett."

"That's good," I told her, sitting down next to her and wrapping my arm around her. Meena buried her face into my neck.

"How did things get so messed up?" she asked with a sigh.

"Because we're both blessed with siblings who act before they think?"

I heard Meena giggle. It was the best sound I'd ever heard. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. My dad came up to me a few minutes later.

"Do you know where Gracie is? It's time to cut the cake and for her to open her presents."

"Nope, but I'll go find her," I told him, kissing Meena's hand regretfully as I got up to find my sister. Meena smiled softly in return and left our table to go sit with my mom and Leah.

It didn't take me long to find her. I walked into the kitchen and found both Gracie and Ryan whispering angrily back and forth.

"It's my birthday wish, Ryan," Gracie pleaded. "I want you to promise me that you'll leave Gabe alone."

Ryan trembled slightly as his face crumpled up in pain. And yet, he still shook his head. I was amazed. I knew how hard it was to not give into your imprint's wishes. It was normally excruciating.

"I can't do that," he told her.

"You're being a stubborn asshole," Gracie retorted. "Is this because I almost slept with Gabe?"

"You what?" Ryan shouted. I closed my eyes and mentally strangled Gracie.

"Oh…" she remarked stupidly.

Ryan came storming out of the kitchen area and almost ran me over. I grabbed him by the arm and yanked him towards the front door. Gracie started to follow us.

"Go open your presents," I ordered. "Dad's looking for you."

"But-"

"Just go, you've done enough," I told her furiously, before opening the front door and shoving Ryan through it. He was shaking so hard, I could barely hold onto him.

"I'll kill him, I'll kill him," Ryan muttered over and over again.

"Ryan, would you freaking calm down," I snapped.

Ryan managed to squirm out of my hold and took off running. I went after him and tackled him to the ground. We landed in a pile of wet snow. He rolled on his side but I was able to grab his arms, pinning them together against the cold earth. Ryan began pulling on my hold.

The Alpha voice erupted out of me before I could stop it. "Enough."

Ryan immediately stilled, though his eyes looked furious. Satisfied that he wouldn't take off, I let him go and sat back.

"I know you're upset," I started to say but Ryan interrupted.

"Upset? I'm not fucking upset. There are no words to describe how pissed off I am. Not only did he almost kill her but they had sex-"

"_Almost_ had sex."

"Did he drink from her while he was inside her?" Ryan questioned, his eyes wild.

"You fucking idiot," I barked. "They didn't have sex. From what I know, he stopped before they could complete the deed."

"You knew about this?" Ryan asked incredulously, his face filled with betrayal.

I didn't think it'd be a good idea to admit that I could smell sex in the air when I walked into the kitchen on New Year's Eve.

"Does it matter?" I asked instead.

"What the fuck has happened to this pack?" Ryan yelled, getting up from the ground to pace as he ran his hand angrily through his hair. "Gabriel Black is a fucking menace. And yet you do nothing. What are you waiting for? Does he have to come back and wipe out half the tribe before you do anything?"

I stood up as well. "You're pissed. I get that. But let me ask you something. Will killing Gabe change anything?"

"No, but I'll feel a lot better," Ryan sneered. I shook my head at him.

"I understand the reasons why you left Gracie. I even supported them. That doesn't change the fact that you left her. She's a teenage girl acting her age. She's had boyfriends since you've been gone. You know she's no fucking saint. Gabe was the one who got her off drugs for awhile. He was there for her when you weren't. And now you want to kill him for that? You think Gracie will want anything to do with you if you actually succeeded in ending Gabe's life? Ryan, if you can't get past this, you'll only alienate Gracie more."

"He knew what he was doing. He knew she was my imprint," Ryan said stubbornly.

"Yeah, but Gracie doesn't, does she? You never told her about the imprint. She doesn't even have a clue what imprinting is. And besides, don't be such a damned hypocrite. You were sleeping with that girl you hooked up with in D.C. You're allowed to have sex with someone, but your imprint can't? Kind of a double standard, don't you think?"

For a minute, I wondered if Ryan was going to try to hit me, then his shoulders sagged.

"I'm going to go for a walk," he finally muttered. I was about to protest, when he said, "Don't worry. I'm not going after that stupid bastard."

I watched as he headed towards the cliffs. Looking up at night sky, I took a deep breath, before moving my head from side to side, trying to relieve some tension.

I could hear the birthday chorus being sung inside the community center. Feeling as though I were a hundred instead of eighteen, I made my way wearily back inside.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

**End Note**

Sorry, one last author's note. I feel really guilty about this, but I need to cut back on my review responses. I hope you know how much I value your comments, and I really hope you'll continue to leave me your thoughts as they help me sometimes decide whose POV to do next or help me fill in plot points I might've otherwise overlooked. I just have so much going on right now between writing and real life, and I'm finding it hard to update my different stories on time and respond to everyone. I'm hoping that by cutting back on responses, I'll have more time to write and will be able to get the chapters to you on a more consistent basis. If you have questions about something in my chapter or story, please continue to leave them in your reviews and I'll answer them. If you don't hear from me though, know that I truly appreciate your feedback. Thanks everyone for understanding!

And just cause I'm feeling really bad about this, here's a teaser for the next chapter…the tentative chapter title is: _This_ _Thing Called Imprinting_. The next POV: Gracie's. (LOL, and that's all the information I'm giving you on that.) ;)

Meena's car is under the "Story Extras" album of my photobucket account. The link is on my profile page if you want to check it out.


	16. This Thing Called Imprinting

_Then I defy you, stars!  
_

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo and Juliet_

**Chapter 16 – This Thing Called Imprinting**

_February 14, 2026_

Gracie's POV

Valentine's Day. One of the dumbest fucking holidays ever invented. And for some stupid reason, a holiday that my school fervently embraced every year. I'd walked into school yesterday and felt physically ill as I looked around at all the decorations. It was as if Cupid had upchucked little pink and red hearts all over the lockers and walls.

And of course, everyone was talking about the big Valentine's Day dance that was going to take place tonight. Not that I would be attending. Nope, I got to spend part of my Saturday in another friggin addict's meeting and then it was straight home after that like a good little girl.

I slouched in my chair as the meeting began. They were so lame. I got that some people needed them…they were complete addicts. But after what happened to me on New Year's, I had absolutely no desire to ever drink or take drugs again. I spent a majority of the meeting thinking about everything else going on in my life.

It had been a month and a half since New Year's, and I was still nowhere near clearing Gabe's name. I had spoken to him a few times since that night, and he seemed to be doing okay, but I knew he wanted to see Charlie, Billy, and Meena. Jake and Renesmee went up to Canada a few times to visit him, but otherwise he had no contact from people in La Push. I guessed that was a good thing though…that meant his life wasn't in immediate danger from psycho wolves.

But I felt as though I couldn't rest until Gabe was absolved of the crime he supposedly committed against me. I tried to talk to Nate about it, but he said it wasn't up to him and that it was the pack's decision…in other words, Ryan's. I didn't get why Ryan had such influence anyway. From what I knew of the pack, Nate was the leader and Paul and Rachel's eldest son, Devlin, was second in charge.

I felt myself frown as I thought of Devlin. To ensure that I didn't socialize with any of my friends, my dad arranged for the pack members who attended school with me to escort me to all my classes. If Devlin wasn't there, it was Jason Pachena. I guessed being seen with Dev was better than Jason. Jason was in middle school, though because our school system was so small, the kids his age were placed in the same building as the high schoolers. I didn't want to be seen hanging out with someone so young. Dev was at least a freshman. What sucked though was that because I had been hanging out with him so much lately, rumors were going around that we were dating.

I didn't even think Devlin was aware of them. He had some obsession with Jared and Kim Becknell's daughter, Hanna. Not that he ever saw her. She'd only been back to the reservation a couple of times in the past few years. She attended some fine arts school in Michigan. But the guy talked about her nonstop.

I was distracted from my thoughts as people began standing and socializing, indicating that the meeting was over. Grabbing my purse, I headed eagerly outside. Nate was supposed to pick me up since my father wouldn't let me borrow the family car. I was startled to see Ryan waiting for me in the parking lot, leaning up against his yellow Dodge Viper.

The car was a little flashy for this area with a black racing stripe down the middle. I remembered before Ryan left La Push he drove an old beat up Chevy Malibu. That one seemed to resemble the Ryan I'd grown up with, safe and reliable. This car represented a new Ryan. One that had a dangerous element to him. While a part of me felt cautious whenever I was around him anymore, there was another bigger part of me that was secretly fascinated with this new Ryan.

"Where's Nate?" I asked as I approached the car.

"It's Valentine's Day. He had a hot date with Meena so I volunteered to come and get you," Ryan responded, stepping away from the vehicle so that he could open up the passenger door. I murmured my thanks before getting inside the warm interior.

I didn't understand Ryan's behavior since he got back. When I was a kid, he had meant the world to me. There was no one I was closer to than him. He'd been my best friend since forever. Now…things were different.

First off, he was always over. That was nothing new. He'd always been over at the house when I was younger too. But it was his attitude towards me that had me baffled. He was so flirtatious with me. And no matter what I said—it didn't matter how rude or bitchy I was too him—he'd just smile. The angrier I'd get with him, the more freaking bubbly his personality would become. He never got upset. In fact, every time he saw me, it was like he radiated happiness. Half the time I wanted to hit him. The other half…well, sometimes I found it very hard to resist the urge to grab him and never let go.

I looked over at him as he drove assuredly behind the wheel. I wondered what I could do to push him over the edge. Last time I broke him, he'd kissed me. Would he do that again? Did I want him to?

"So how was the meeting?" Ryan asked, giving me a smile that made my heart pound hard against my chest. I turned my head so that I was staring out the side window.

With a shrug, I told him, "Same as every other meeting. I'm an addict, woe is me, blah blah blah."

"Those meetings are supposed to help you," Ryan said, reaching out to touch my knee. I jumped and moved my leg away. His hand fell uselessly to the side. He put it back on the steering wheel as though nothing had happened.

"I know that all addicts say this, but I seriously don't need them." I closed my eyes tiredly and leaned my head against the seat. "Do you think I even want to look at another pill after what happened?"

"Gracie, I heard you were caught more than once these past few years coming home, reeking of alcohol and pot-"

"But I stopped doing that," I argued. "Gabe got me to stop."

I watched as Ryan's hands tightened on the wheel. "Yeah, well. What are your plans tonight?"

"Ryan, he's such a good person," I begged him to understand, ignoring his attempt to change the conversation. "We both made a mistake that night, but he shouldn't be punished because of me."

"Grace, it's more complicated than that."

"No, it's not," I insisted. When he didn't say anything, I lost my temper. "I don't even see what this has to do with you. Nate acts like it's your decision whether Gabe can come back. I don't see how it's any of your business."

Ryan didn't say anything, but I watched his face tighten.

"Ryan, please," I implored. "Please tell Nate that Gabe can come back. I know it'd make things a lot easier on the pack. I overheard Meena tell Mom a few weeks ago that she's been so stressed by everything her stomach's been too uptight to go hunt, which was upsetting Nate. And if Nate's upset, the rest of the wolves are upset, right?"

Ryan pulled the car to a stop and put it in park. I looked around in surprise and saw that we were only a short distance from the cliffs on the rez. Ryan turned in his seat so that he could study my face. I shifted, uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze.

"I thought you were taking me to my house," I said, feeling inexplicably nervous. "Per my dad's rules, I'm supposed to go directly home after my meetings."

"Your dad isn't going to be upset if he knows you're with me," Ryan responded, breaking eye contact to look thoughtfully out the car window. "Besides, he and your mom went into Port Angeles for the night."

"Well, I should probably get back," I told him, beginning to pick at a snag in my jeans with my fingers.

"Why are you so nervous?" Ryan asked in an amused voice.

"I'm not," I answered immediately, my chin rising up defiantly.

Ryan smirked at me before his face turned serious. "Can I ask you something?"

"I guess," I replied uneasily.

"In the hospital, you said you weren't in love with Gabriel Black…"

"I'm not," I stated simply. "I mean I love him, but I'm not _in_ love with him."

"Yet you've talked about him nonstop since you got out of the hospital," Ryan reminded me, his eyes assessing.

"Because I'm trying to make you see that what happened to him was a miscarriage of justice-"

Ryan snorted. "A miscarriage of justice? You ever think about going to law school? You'd make a great lawyer the way you like to argue."

"Ryan, please," I said, trying to stay on topic. "If you think Gabe should be banished from La Push, then I should be too."

"Grace…" Ryan said with a tired sigh. He reached up and ran his thumb along my chin. "There's so much you don't understand."

"Then make me," I whispered back. He dropped his hand and turned back so that he was facing the steering wheel. I had never seen Ryan's face so serious before.

"Yeah, okay," he finally said, looking over at me. Something in his expression made me want to beg him to forget all about it. "Can we get out and walk for a bit?"

"Sure," I told him, opening my car door and stepping outside.

He came over to me and grabbed my hand. I thought about pulling away, but it was starting to snow and the heat I could feel coming off of Ryan's skin was keeping me warm. Plus…I kind of liked the feel of his hand holding mine. It was comforting. We made our way over to the bonfire area which overlooked the ocean. Ryan brushed some snow off one of the logs set up near the fire pit, then waved for me to sit down. I let go of him and sat as instructed. Ryan began to pace in front of me. He looked at me several times, opening and closing his mouth.

Finally getting irritated, I snapped, "Jesus, would you just spit it out already."

"I'm trying," he retorted, running a hand through his hair. "I just…I don't know how to say what I have to say."

"Did you kill somebody in D.C. or something?" I wondered aloud.

"What?" he asked in confusion before saying, "No, of course not."

"Did you knock up your girlfriend?" I questioned, trying my best not to feel jealous and failing miserably.

Ryan's face flushed. "No. Now quit asking questions so I can say this, all right?"

"Fine," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Because I'd never been one to shut up, I asked, "Was your girlfriend pretty?"

"Gracie, I don't want to talk about my ex," Ryan responded in a frustrated tone.

"What's the big deal? Why won't you tell me if she was pretty or not?"

"Why do you even care?" he asked, stopping his pacing long enough to analyze my face.

"I don't," I replied, shrugging indifferently while trying to resist the urge to push Ryan off the edge of the cliff.

He shook his head in exasperation, before looking up at the afternoon sky. He took a few deep breaths as if trying to calm himself. I carefully hid a smile. God I loved when I was successful at getting under his skin. It so rarely happened.

"Okay, look," Ryan finally said. "There's something I need to tell you. It's about…well, it has to do with being a wolf."

Ryan watched me cautiously, as though expecting me to freak out or something. A few years ago, I might have done just that, but I was getting better at the whole shape-shifter idea. Maybe being stuck helping my Grandma Uley plan Cultural Appreciation Day was having a lasting effect on me.

"You see," Ryan stated, looking decidedly sick. "There's this thing called imprinting. It's something we sometimes do after we become wolves."

He paused and swiveled away from me so that he was facing the ocean. When he remained silent, I asked, "So what is imprinting? Is it some kind of vision quest you do or something?"

"No, it's…" Ryan turned around and walked over to me, sitting down beside me and grabbing my hands. He rubbed his thumbs over the backs of my fingers and I shivered involuntarily in desire. He immediately noticed. "Are you cold?"

"No," I replied, trying not to blush. I really wished he wouldn't notice every reaction I had to him. It was embarrassing. I wanted to know more about this imprinting thing. From the way he was acting, it had to be serious. "You were saying?"

"Because if you're cold, we could always go back to the car."

"Ryan!"

"Fine." Ryan frowned as he stared down at our joined hands. "Imprinting is the wolf's way of finding his mate…his true soul mate."

"O-kay," I drawled out, not understanding what the big deal was. His shoulders slumped.

"I'm explaining this wrong." He shifted on the log we were sitting on, his grip becoming tighter though not uncomfortable. "Okay, the first time we see our mates, we imprint and our entire world shifts. Everything and everyone that ever mattered to us gets put on the backburner as our imprints become our entire world. It's like you're floating through life and suddenly your imprint pulls you in and centers you. You would die for your mate and you would do absolutely anything to make them happy. And in return, you're given a short cut to finding the person you were made for. I'd say it's like love at first sight, but it's so much stronger than that. Any wolf I've known who's been accepted by their mate is deliriously happy."

I didn't say anything. I swallowed hard, trying not to cry. I didn't know why, but I suddenly felt heartsick. Ryan wasn't exactly the picture of happiness. So I guessed that meant he hadn't imprinted yet. I should probably have felt excited about that. Instead, I just felt disappointed…disappointed because it meant he was destined for someone else. I pulled my hands away from his and turned so that I didn't have to face him anymore.

"Who in the pack has imprinted?"

He seemed to hesitate before saying, "Your dad was the first one from our generation. He took one look at your mother and that was it."

I felt my mouth drop open a little at that, and yet it oddly made sense. My parents always complimented each other so much. While my dad was fiery, my mom was always the picture of steadiness. And the way my dad had always looked at her. I used to wish that I'd find some guy who'd look at me with one-tenth of the adoration my dad always showed my mom.

"Who else?" I asked.

He started listing them as though reading a bank statement, "Jared and Kim, Paul and Rachel, Embry and Rebecca, Jacob and Renesmee, Collin and Lindsey, Mac and Olivia Pachena, and Rafe and Manda Elwah. And then from your generation, Devlin and Hanna, and your brother and Meena.

"Nate imprinted on Meena?" I questioned in surprise. "But…you said that a wolf imprints when he first sees his mate and they become incredibly happy."

"Yeah," Ryan replied cautiously.

"Nate met Meena a few years ago, and after she went back to Vermont, he became practically comatose he was so miserable."

"She chose her brother's happiness over Nate's," Ryan answered, his face becoming cold as he mentioned Gabe. "Your brother tried to contact her, but she didn't want anything to do with him."

"So why didn't he find someone else to imprint on then if she didn't want him?"

"It doesn't work that way. You can't break an imprint and you can't force yourself to imprint on someone else."

"In other words, you're stuck with the person," I replied, feeling a growing disgust for the concept. Ryan looked panicked for a moment as he read the emotion on my face.

"No, we're not 'stuck' with the person. We _want_ to be with our imprints. They're our soul mates. There is no one else out there who matches us more perfectly. Anyone else would be someone we'd just settle for."

"I see," I remarked, putting my elbows on my knees and clasping my hands together in front of me. I was thoughtful for a minute as I thought of everyone he'd listed. "Wow, so does every wolf imprint then?"

"No, Leah didn't. Seth, Tristen, Will, Ethan, Jason Pachena, and Azra haven't either. It's actually supposed to be kind of rare. I guess our generation is filled with a bunch of freaks or something because half the pack imprinted."

"What about Quil and Brady?" I questioned when all I wanted to do was ask Ryan if he'd ever imprinted.

"Yeah, they both imprinted," he said before hesitantly adding, "Quil imprinted on Claire and Brady imprinted on Kayley."

"Kayley?" I questioned in shock. "As in my cousin Claire's daughter? Kayley Ateara who isn't even three yet?"

"Yeah, Brady imprinted on her when she was a few hours old."

I stood up in horror. "What kind of sick fucking shit is this?"

Ryan ran over to me and clasped my shoulders, forcing me to face him. "It's not like that. I swear it to you."

"But Brady imprinted on a baby? And Quil has always been around Claire. Did he imprint on her when she was a baby too?"

"He imprinted on her when she was around two," Ryan told me honestly. I shuddered and pushed against his chest, hoping he'd let me go. He didn't.

"Oh my God," I cried in disgust. "They mated on kids. How could my dad let Quil even around Claire?"

Ryan grabbed my cheeks in his warm hands. I avoided his eyes until he demanded, "Would you look at me?"

My eyes flew to his and he said quietly, "Grace, I've been inside these guys' heads. There is nothing sick or inappropriate in their feelings for their imprints. When we imprint on a young child, all we want to do is protect her. It becomes our life's mission to keep her safe and happy. There's nothing disturbing or sexual about it. As she grows older, our feelings change as our relationship transforms from protector to best friends. And then as she gets older, we reach a new stage in the imprint. She's still our best friend, but suddenly friendship isn't enough anymore. We want more. We start to see our imprint in a whole new light as we begin to fall in love with her. But that doesn't happen until the imprint is old enough to handle that kind of relationship."

"Ryan," I whispered putting my hands over his where they still rested on my face. I hadn't missed how he'd described child imprinting as though he had firsthand experience. My mind flew through different images of Ryan and me while I was growing up. I thought of how Brady was around Kayley, and I compared it to how Ryan had always treated me.

Swallowing hard, I asked, "Ryan, did you imprint on me?"

"Yes," he replied quietly back.

I pulled away from him and this time he let me go. "When?"

"You were three."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked through a tightened jaw, feeling a fury begin to build inside me that was stronger than anything I'd ever felt before. I actually began to shake, I was so livid.

"It wasn't something I felt I could explain to you when you were a kid. And then you had such an aversion to anything wolf related after you found out about the pack, I didn't know how to tell you."

"So what you're really saying is that you and every other fucking person I know has lied to me my entire life."

"Grace," Ryan reached for me, but I took a step away. He flinched at my rejection. "This was my call to make. Don't be mad at anyone else. It's up to the wolf to tell their mate about imprinting."

I trembled even harder at the word 'mate." Thanks to some freaky voodoo wolf magic, I was predestined to be Ryan's. I shook my head and turned so that I didn't have to look at him. I felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal. Trying not to cry, I asked, "Do I _have_ to be with you? Am I stuck with you as my only option?"

"No," he replied softly, yet I could hear the devastation in his voice. "You're free to be with anyone you want to be with."

"So are you apparently," I muttered, thinking about his ex.

"No," Ryan said. "I told you, my bond to you is too strong. I don't want to be with anyone but you."

I turned to look at him then with wide eyes. "Are you saying you're in love with me?"

"I…I don't know how I feel, Gracie. A part of me still sees you as my best friend, but there are times when my feelings run a lot deeper than that."

"But not deep enough," I remarked bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that our magical bond isn't so magical, is it?" I snapped. "You left me for almost three years. You went off and found yourself some stupid whore and forgot all about me, didn't you?"

At this point, I was screaming. For good measure, I went and hit him across the chest. My hand stung, but at least I got some anger out.

"Grace, please," Ryan begged. "You've got to understand. You didn't want me. I felt it. I can feel your every need. I knew the best thing for me to do was give you some space after everything that happened between us at Quil's wedding. While I was away, I could feel how much you didn't need me. I waited for a sign—anything that would indicate you wanted me back-but it never came. I was lonely and miserable and I turned to Sar-"

"I don't want to hear it," I yelled, walking away from him. "You said that your goal in life was to make your imprint happy, correct?"

"Yes," Ryan replied desolately.

"And yet, I've asked you until I was blue in the face for you to forgive Gabe and let him come back to La Push and you won't."

"I told you…it's complicated."

"What's so complicated about it?" I questioned angrily. "It's what I want, but you won't give it to me."

"Gracie, I can't," he whispered, his body stiff in what looked to be pain.

"Why?" I was trying to fight back tears. I just wanted to get away from him, but I had to understand this one thing.

"I can't forgive Gabe," Ryan murmured, shaking his head. "He almost killed you. If you had died, it would've destroyed me. Back in the day, there was even a rule. If you killed another wolf's imprint, the wolves would fight to the death. Aside from pack law, he's a Cullen. We have a treaty with them that they can't feed off humans. He destroyed so much and you were the one to suffer for it. Grace, even if I wanted to forgive him, which I don't, the wolf inside me can't. You're my entire world and he almost took that away from me. Meena is more vampire than him, yet she's never fed off a human. But that bastard, who is mostly wolf, was given the slightest temptation and he took it. He didn't hold his breath and run the hell away from you. He drank from you and-"

"I put my bleeding arm against his mouth!" I screamed in exasperation.

"And yet Meena walked in the door seconds later and didn't attack. From what I saw in Nate's thoughts when I patrolled with him, there were blood drops all over the floor. The very scent of it was in the air. But she held her breath. Why do you think she's so angry with Gabe? Everyone but you seems to grasp how weak he was. He shouldn't be allowed to be around humans."

I shook my head, realizing in that moment how futile it was. Ryan would never forgive Gabe. He would never see that there were two sides to it.

"You said I have a choice in whether I want to be with you or not, right?" I asked. When he nodded warily, I said, "I don't want anything to do with you. I reject whatever this is between us. Go back to your slut of a girlfriend and leave me alone."

I twirled away from Ryan and took a few steps, but he grabbed me and turned me so that I was facing him again. His face was desperate.

"Please," he begged. "Don't do this."

"What am I doing?" I practically spit at him. "Our imprint is a joke. You lied to me by never telling me about any of this before. You left me. And now the one thing I ask you to give me, the one thing I truly want, you won't do because of some stupid pack rule and an outdated treaty. To hell with you, Ryan Spencer. I don't want anything to do with you. Now let me the fuck go."

He did as I asked and I hurried away from him, my eyes blinded by tears. Was nothing in my life based in truth? I had just started to accept the fact that all the guys I had grown up with could burst into hairy beasts and now this? Everyone around me had lied yet again. They had all known that I was tied to Ryan. Every single one of them. I was so stupid. I should have picked up on the signs. How many times had it seemed like people were going to say something to me, something important, only to stop? Hell, even Gabe had done that from time to time. It must have always been on the tips of their tongues to tell me the truth, but they never did.

I was bound to Ryan and not one single person in my life thought it was important enough to tell me? Not Nate, my parents, Claire…all the people I trusted most had hidden one of the most important details of my life from me.

I was hurt. I felt like I was bleeding inside. More importantly, I was pissed. I could barely hold onto my rage. I wanted to lash out at all of them. I wanted to do something that would hurt them…especially Ryan.

I walked for awhile lost in thought, before I finally took in my surroundings. A smile slowly crawled onto my face as I realized that I was standing in front of my ex-boyfriend, Zack Murray's house. I practically ran to the front door and pounded on it. Zack's mother answered moments later. She looked like she always did, haggard, much too old for her age, and wearing her usual ratty blue bathrobe even though it had to be around 3 pm. She was puffing on a cigarette and eyeing me indifferently.

"What do you want?" she asked after taking a hit off it and blowing the smoke in my face.

"Hello, Mrs. Murray. Is Zack here?" I questioned politely.

She turned away from the door without a word and sat on her chair in the living room, turning up the volume on the TV so that her latest soap blared loudly from it. I entered the house and closed the door behind me before making my way to the basement where Zack's room was. I went down the stairs and walked into the entertainment room. The entire downstairs was musky and always smelled like pot. I found Zack sitting on a couch, playing a video game.

"Hey," I said, as I made my way over to him.

"What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you and Devlin Wakeh going to the dance tonight or something?" he asked, turning his attention back to his game. I noticed a box of cigarettes next to him. Picking one up, I lit it, taking a soothing hit before passing it to Zack as was our tradition. He grunted his thanks, but didn't look at me.

"I'm not going to the dance, and I'm here because I wanted to talk to you," I said.

"About?" he asked, still not taking his eyes off the game. Getting angry, I went over to the TV and shut it off.

That got his attention. "What the fuck, Gracie?"

"I want us to get back together," I told him blatantly. Nothing would piss people off more. And as Zack wasn't at the New Year's party, they couldn't really ban him from my life.

"Why should I take you back?" Zack questioned with a sneer, leaning back on the couch and crossing his arms over his chest.

I gave him my most seductive smile and walked over to him, sitting down so that I was facing him while straddling his lap. I leaned down and sucked on his ear lobe. I knew how much that turned him on.

"Because we're so good together," I whispered as I began to grind myself against him.

"You're only here cause Gabriel Black dropped out of school," Zack muttered, even as he grabbed my hips and began to move me back and forth over his lower half. I smiled when I felt his burgeoning arousal.

"I'm here because I realized what a mistake I made," I told him, doing light bites along his jaw line. I sat back and undid the top of his jeans, before delving my hand inside so that I could grab his erection. Zack sucked in a hard breath as my thumb ran over his sensitive tip.

"Fuck, Gracie," he murmured, before grabbing the back of my head with one hand and bringing my lips to his. I licked at his mouth with my tongue before pulling away.

"That's exactly what I want you to do to me," I instructed.

Needing no further encouragement, Zack picked me up and carried me to his room, shutting the door behind him with his foot. He laid me across his unmade bed before pushing his jeans down his waist. I closed my eyes, my thoughts drifting to Ryan.

_How do you like your imprint now?_

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

**End Note **

Just to clear up any confusion if you read Forbidden, the epilogue of that story hasn't happened yet in Stormy's timeframe. We're in February 2026 of this story. Forbidden's epilogue takes place in November. *spoiler* The two imprints mentioned in Forbidden's epilogue haven't happened yet. ;)

Thanks again for your comments on the last chapter. As always,** please review!**


	17. Night With The Guys

_One fire burns out another's burning. __One pain is lessened by another's anguish._

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo & Juliet_

**Chapter 17 – Night With The Guys**

_February 14, 2026 – February 16, 2026_

Ryan's POV

I watched Gracie storm angrily away from me. I ran a hand wearily over my face. Had any guy ever been able to tell their imprint the truth successfully? Brady was the only one that I knew of, but then again, his imprint wasn't even three yet. Per Claire and Quil's rules—well, Claire's rules-Brady had to tell Kayley the story of his imprinting on her once a year. That way she'd grow up knowing what was in store for her.

I wish I would have done that with Gracie, but back when I imprinted the rule was we didn't tell anyone about the pack or imprinting unless it was necessary. Claire grew up with Quil and never knew he was her imprinter until she was an adult. After Kayley was born and Brady imprinted on her, Claire told Sam that no child of hers was going to grow up not knowing the secret. As Sam was her uncle and practically raised her, he agreed that Kayley could be told the truth.

After all, withholding the secret had caused too many wolves pain. Sam had tried to tell Emily about his imprinting the day he scarred her. Embry and his wife, Rebecca, were separated for over ten years after he imprinted on her, because he never told her about their connection. Both had suffered severe depression for years. And Claire had almost left Quil when he had told her the truth, but they'd made up later that day. I wasn't so optimistic about my chances with Gracie.

She was so cursedly stubborn. I had to admit, it was one of her qualities I loved the most. She had such amazing spirit. Even though she'd been crushed by what I'd told her, she still fought me. No matter what life dealt Gracie, she was a fighter.

I was half-tempted to go after her now, but I decided to let her cool off for a bit instead. I knew she was still on the rez. I felt her presence. If she did a runner, I'd go after her in a heartbeat. I got back in my car and put my head tiredly against the steering wheel.

I was so confused by everything that had happened since New Year's. For the rest of my life, I'd never forget the inexplicable fear I'd felt the night Gracie got hurt. My girlfriend and I had gone to her apartment after attending a New Year's party. We had just fallen asleep as it was three in the morning when I'd felt a sharp pain of unease. It had gotten so bad that I couldn't move from the crippling sensation it caused.

I instantly knew that something was seriously wrong with Gracie. I also knew that given the time zone difference, it would have been around midnight in La Push when I'd first started feeling that way. As soon as I was able to move, I had flown out of my girlfriend's apartment without even an explanation and had gone back to my place, grabbing some necessities before hurrying off to the airport. By the time I had landed in Seattle and caught my second flight to Port Angeles, I was a nervous wreck. It was only after my second flight was over, and I had gotten into a rental car headed to Forks that I'd been able to get a hold of Nate. He had told me the whole story then. I'd been lucky to not phase in my car when I heard what had happened.

The hate I felt for Gabriel Black was unreasonable. I knew that. But the wolf inside me wasn't a reasonable creature. I knew Gracie didn't understand why I was being so unrelenting in not letting him return to the area. I hardly understood it myself. When I thought of Gabe, the human side of me disappeared and the wolf took over. The wolf was territorial. It was uncontrollable. And it wanted Gabe's blood. Gabe who almost killed my very reason for living. Gabe who had touched Gracie intimately. I wanted to break his neck. And while I was doing it, I wanted to whisper in his ear that Gracie was only ever mine. The human inside me cringed at my archaic behavior. The wolf inside me told the human side to fuck off.

I wish I could give into what Gracie wanted. But I couldn't do it. Whenever I tried to reason with myself, I'd remember the hours I had spent by Gracie's bed, holding her hand as she lay unconscious on the bed, too weak to even open her eyes. If I had lost her, nothing would have stopped me from killing Gabe. And if I'd been successful, I would have killed myself afterwards.

Gracie was everything to me. Being reunited with her was the single greatest pleasure I'd ever experienced in my life. Getting to touch her again, even just to run my fingers down her cheek had erased all the pain I'd lived with during the time I wasn't in La Push.

In the years away from her, she had grown up truly beautiful. I had known what she looked like thanks to the pictures Azra had sent me while I was away. But seeing her in the flesh had literally taken my breath away. Even sick and hospitalized, I'd had a hard time accepting the fact that the woman in front of me was the young girl I'd left behind. She was only seventeen, but I couldn't deny that I was very attracted to her. That didn't mean that I was in love with her though.

I sat back in my seat and stared out at the snowy landscape. Was I in love with her? I felt conflicted. I wanted to see her as the little girl who was my best friend. Unfortunately, my heart didn't seem to want to cooperate with my head.

I knew that it had been sheer agony to be without her the past three years. And since coming back, I was miserable whenever we were separated, even if it was only for a short time. I knew that the sound of her laughter…which didn't happen very often…could keep me going for hours. I adored how she had a habit of tilting her head slightly just before she told me off. I also knew that when she relaxed her guard and let me in, it was like being given a precious gift. The truth was, my imprint was a pain in the ass half the time. Yet, I couldn't imagine my life without her. She made me feel alive. I sucked in a breath.

"Shit. I am in love with her," I said aloud.

The past month and a half had been one of the best and worst times of my life. Gracie had continuously pushed me. It was torturous, but I'd never been so happy either. I was empty without my imprint. I needed her in my life. I could accept whatever she threw at me as long as she was by my side.

I felt a sense of relief knowing what my true feelings were. Now I had to find a way to make Gracie realize the imprint wasn't a bad thing. I could make her happy. I just needed to work on making her fall in love with me. I was ready to embrace this final phase of our imprinting. I had protected her when she was a kid, worshipped her when she was a teen…now I wanted to begin the rest of our lives together as a couple. But I had to be careful. One bad slip and I'd send Gracie even further away.

The first step was to be her friend. If I pushed any feelings onto my Grace, I knew she would reject me. Once I got her to accept my friendship, I'd slowly work my way into her heart. Satisfied that I had a plan, I looked over at the passenger seat where Gracie had been sitting not even a half hour ago. I noticed something on the floor that grabbed my attention. Picking it up, I began to grin ear to ear as I realized Gracie had left her purse in my car. Maybe fate was finally on my side today. I was going to take this as a definite sign that I was supposed to find her and talk to her.

As I drove to the Uley home, I began to get the uneasy feeling that something was wrong with my imprint. I pulled into the driveway and closed my eyes. I could sense that Gracie was still in La Push. She wasn't in any physical danger, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

I grabbed her purse and got out of the car, making my way over to the porch. I knocked on the front door, but there was no answer. I knew that Sam and Emily weren't home. They had a Valentine's Day getaway planned for the weekend in Port Angeles. Nate was taking Meena out for dinner and then they were going to the Black house to watch movies on Jacob's flat screen. I wondered where Gracie was. Leaning down to brush some snow off the porch step, I sat and waited for Gracie to show up.

As I waited, the uneasiness grew. I rubbed my neck to try to ease some of the tension that was making my skin ache. It was getting worse the longer I sat there.

"What did you do, Gracie?" I finally muttered.

She had to be the reason I was feeling this way, but I took comfort in knowing that at least she wasn't physically hurt. I continued to wait for the next half hour. I was staring at her purse intently when I felt the strong pull of my imprint bond. My head whipped up just in time to see Gracie appear at the end of the driveway. Unfortunately, she was downwind. I could smell two things on her; the stench of her ex-boyfriend, who I had checked out as soon as I got back to the rez, and the scent of sex. I gagged slightly in my throat, even as I stood trembling to my feet. No wonder I had been feeling like shit for the past forty-five minutes. Gracie approached me cautiously.

"You slept with someone?" I asked, feeling sick. She raised her head defiantly.

"It's really disturbing how you guys can smell that," she said indifferently though her face flushed beet red.

"That's the bitch about being imprinted," I told her sarcastically. "We're connected. I feel what you feel. Take right now. I know you're feeling ashamed."

"I am not," she responded defiantly. My heart shattered. She must really hate me to do something like this.

"Was I really such a bad choice for you?" I whispered.

She looked away, her eyes shimmering with tears. I knew I had to get away before I phased. Hurrying into the forest behind the Uley house, I took only a few steps before I burst into wolf form. I ran as fast as I could to get away from her. The temptation to go back and hurt her the way she hurt me was too much. I howled in pain at Gracie's betrayal. A few moments later, I felt another wolf phase.

_Ry, what's wrong?_ Azra asked. Images of Gracie popped into my head. I showed him everything, from me telling Gracie about the imprint to discovering she had slept with her ex.

_Come back to the apartment, okay?_ Azra said.

_I ruined my clothes,_ I told him emotionlessly.

_I'll be waiting in the woods with something for you to wear._

Feeling a crushing depression weigh heavily on me, I made my way slowly to the wooded area near Azra's apartment building. Azra was waiting with a pair of jogging pants. I changed back into my human form and grabbed the pants, pulling them on despondently.

"Come on," Azra ordered gently.

I stumbled as I started walking. I would have fallen, but Azra wrapped an arm around my shoulder and steadied me. He kept it there as we continued to walk towards the building. We entered the apartment and I went over to the couch, collapsing on it with a groan.

"How could she do it?" I mumbled incoherently. "How could she?"

Azra sat down next to me and put his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together.

"Can I be frank with you?" he asked.

"Why not." I nodded.

"Ryan, you've given Gracie everything she's ever wanted in life. You gotta admit, you're kind of to blame for how she turned out. I remember Sam used to tell you to not give her expensive presents when she was little, and then you'd turn around and buy her whatever she wanted anyway. Now she asks you to forgive Gabe and you refuse. For the first time probably in her memory, you won't give her something and it's as simple as forgiveness. Plus, your behavior has completely changed towards her since she last saw you. Before, you were friends. Now you're flirting with her all the time. Is it any wonder the kid is confused?"

I made a scoffing noise. "It's not like I fucking denied her a pony or something. Yeah, I said I wouldn't forgive Gabriel Black, but I also told her she was my soul mate and she slept with her ex-boyfriend, Azra."

My voice broke on that last note. I pressed my palms to my eyes and tried to stem the tears that were beginning to form there. I felt so devastated.

"You know what you need?" Azra asked.

"A new imprint?" I questioned and then was hit with an immediate sense of guilt.

"Nah," Azra replied. "You need to get away for awhile."

I laughed manically. "Get away? That's what got me into this mess in the first place. If I hadn't left Gracie to begin with, none of this would have happened."

"You left because Gracie needed space. You did what was right by her."

"I thought that at the time." I sighed bitterly. I got up and went over to the window to stare out it blankly. "All I've done is screw things up."

"You've been trying too hard," Azra countered.

"I haven't been trying enough," I responded, putting my head against the cool glass.

"Since you've gotten back, you've done everything you could to get back in Gracie's good graces. Between her, your anger towards Gabe, and your fury with the pack for not going after him, you remind me more every day of a stick of dynamite. One tiny thing is going to set you off if you don't find a way to relax."

"So you're suggesting I leave?" I asked in a hurt tone. I didn't even want to think about how betrayed I felt over the pack's lack of action in the Gabe matter. Those wounds were still too raw.

"I don't think you should leave permanently, but I think we should get away for awhile."

"We?"

"Yeah. I was thinking we could go see Tristen for the rest of the weekend."

Tristen Hobucket had become a wolf around the same time Azra and I had during the great Volturi Visit. Aside from Az, he was my closest guy friend. The three of us had even shared an apartment together. After he retired from the pack, Tristen became a forest ranger for the National Park Service. He and his wife Charlotte were assigned to Black Canyon National Park in Gunnison, Colorado.

I looked carefully at Azra and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "Is everything all right with you, Az?"

He jumped a little, as though startled by the question. "Yeah, everything's peachy."

Before I could question him further, Azra's cell phone rang. He looked down at it with a frown.

"It's Nate," he stated. "I thought he was on a date with Meena tonight."

He answered the call and then immediately handed the phone to me. My stomach twisted, my thoughts going to Gracie.

"Ryan," Nate said, sounding relieved. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I replied cautiously. "Shouldn't I be?"

"I don't know…I just felt like something was wrong with you. Call it my crazy Alpha instincts."

"I'm fine," I answered. "Azra and I were just thinking about going to visit Tristen this weekend."

"Oh…" Nate said with confusion. "You're not hanging out with Gracie tonight?"

"No," I barely refrained from snapping. "She's at home."

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Nate wondered.

"I told her about the imprint," I answered painfully. "She didn't take the news so well."

"Do I need to come back to the rez?" Nate asked in a worried tone.

"We're all fine," I assured him. "Enjoy your date with Meena."

"All right, tell Tristen I said hello."

"Will do," I replied before disconnecting the call.

"So we're going then?" Azra questioned.

"I guess so."

"Cool," Azra said with a smile. He went into his room and came back moments later with a bag. "Stuff some clothes in there."

While I did as he instructed, Azra called Tristen and let him know we were going to come for a visit. Tristen and his wife had a romantic evening planned so we decided to leave first thing in the morning. Azra went to bed, leaving me to my thoughts. I laid down on the couch to try to sleep, but all I could think about were my earlier conversations with Gracie. They played like a broken record over and over again in my head, torturing me.

Around 4 AM, I heard Azra take a quick shower before he came out into the living room. I went into the bathroom and took my own shower. We ate a quick breakfast and then went out into the woods. Azra phased first. I placed the bag containing some extra clothes for both of us in between his teeth. I stripped off the pants I was wearing and tied them to my leg before also phasing. We were soon on our way to Colorado. Driving would have taken us an entire day. If we pushed it in wolf form, we could get there in about four hours. We took our time though and got to Gunnison a little after 10 AM. We quickly phased once we reached the city border and made our way to Tristen's house. He came out to greet us as soon as we reached his porch.

"Hobucket!" Azra called out. "How you doing, man?"

"Az! Dude, it's been awhile," Tristen said, giving Azra a hug before turning to me.

"Hey, Ho." I smiled at him.

Tristen frowned. "Jesus, Ry, you look like shit."

"He's having problems with his imprint," Azra butted in.

"Ah," Tristen replied. "So how are things going with you and Gracie?"

"I told her I imprinted on her and that we were soul mates," I stated lifelessly. "She responded by running off and having sex with her ex-boyfriend."

"Damn, that's harsh," Tristen said with a wince. "You know what your problem is, Ryan? You've got no game. Come on inside, and ole Tristen here will tell you the rules of winning a woman."

We walked into the house and found Charlotte in the kitchen making blueberry waffles. Charlotte was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed bombshell. She also was one of the kindest women I'd ever met. We always told Tristen that we didn't understand how she ended up with him.

Personality wise, Tristen always reminded me of Collin without the cynicism. He was a good, hardworking guy. He could be a smart ass, but he was also extremely loyal and completely in love with his wife though he never imprinted on her.

"Babe," Tristen said, going up and wrapping his arm around her waist. I didn't miss that she flinched away from him. Disappointment flashed across Tristen's face, but he smiled as he looked at us. "Look who showed up."

She came over and gave Azra and me a hug. "Hey guys."

"Hey Char," I hugged her back. "You look great. How've you been?"

She responded by bursting into tears. Running from the room, we heard a door slam moments later. I looked at Tristen in surprise.

"What'd I say?" I asked.

"Sorry about that," Tristen replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "We've been trying to get pregnant the past few years. Charlotte asked her doctor yesterday if we could try In-Vitro Fertilization again, but we've already tried it several times and it never works. He suggested we consider adoption instead."

"Dude, I'm sorry," Azra said sympathetically.

Tristen looked sad for a minute before shrugging. "Why don't we eat and then I'll take you two for a hike around Black Canyon?"

"Sure," I replied. We sat down and Tristen finished making the waffles. When we were full, we got ready to leave, grabbing bottles of water to take with us.

"Let me just ask Char if she wants to go," Tristen said, looking nervously towards the area his wife had disappeared, before leaving the room. When we heard them start to argue quietly, Azra and I went outside. Tristen came out moments later.

"She doesn't want to go," he said, looking frustrated.

We got into his jeep and headed towards the park. The canyon was like nothing I'd ever seen. I'd been to the Grand Canyon National Park when I was younger, but there was something so untouched about Black Canyon. We spent the day hiking the trails. It was risky considering they were covered in snow, but they were hardly a challenge for us.

It was like old times. We talked and laughed. After awhile, I felt the tension leave my body, and I noticed the change in the happy, relaxed faces of my friends. When it started to get darker, we decided to head back. Charlotte was waiting for us with a roast. She seemed happier much to Tristen's relief. After dinner, Azra volunteered to do the dishes. Tristen and I went outside to sit on the porch while Charlotte stayed with Azra. We could hear them discussing Hollywood gossip. How Azra knew about that shit, I had no idea.

"Are you glad to be back?" Tristen asked, as he took a chug from the beer we had brought outside with us.

"Sometimes," I replied sadly. "Other times, I'm not so sure. Gracie seemed happier when I was away. But I can't leave her now. Even after everything that's gone wrong between us, I just…can't.

"Ryan, let me ask you something? Are you and Gracie dating?"

"No."

"Then get the fuck over it."

"What?" I asked, taken aback.

"You heard me," Tristen replied. "She's seventeen for Christ's sake. Neither of us were virgins when we were her age. Just because you imprinted on her doesn't mean you own her."

"So I should just forgive and forget?" I questioned bitterly.

"Do you love her?"

I felt my anger dissipate. Sighing, I said, "Yeah. And when I don't want to kill her, I want to spend every moment I can with her."

"Then get over it. You don't know how lucky you have it," Tristen told me. He stared off into the distance, looking tortured. "You know, I blame for myself for Charlotte's inability to get pregnant."

"Oh…is it your…" I stopped, embarrassed to go on.

Tristen chuckled sadly. "I don't have a low sperm count or anything. I just wonder sometimes if we can't get pregnant because she's not my imprint."

"Leah has three kids and Dylan isn't her imprint."

"But Leah's also the only female wolf. Things aren't exactly normal for her. What if Char and I can't have kids because I have an imprint out there I'm supposed to be with."

"There have been plenty of wolves in our history that have had kids that weren't imprinted." I tried to cheer him up.

"Maybe," Tristen answered, still looking depressed. "The point is though, I'd do anything for Charlotte. We've put her body through IVF more times than I'd like to remember. We've tried artificial insemination. I want to make her happy no matter what. I want to give her anything she wants. She's more important to me than my own feelings. And she's not my imprint."

I looked down at my beer bottle with a frown. Tristen continued.

"Even though I don't have a connection to her like you do Gracie, I still want to give her the world. That's what love is."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked tiredly.

"From what you told me on our hike today, you keep trying to force the imprint. Stop thinking about what you expect to happen. I remember Gracie. You push her, she's going to push back. Stop pressing her for so much. If she wants to be your friend, be her friend. If things are meant to happen for you two, it'll come naturally. Just like me and Charlotte."

I looked at him in surprise. "When the hell did you get so smart?"

Tristen chuckled. "I know. It's weird, right?"

"Yeah." I smiled back at him. He still didn't have his usual enthusiasm so I added, "You know, maybe you and Charlotte can't have kids because you were meant to adopt. There's probably a kid out there right now who needs you."

Tristen grinned at that. "Maybe you're right."

Azra and Charlotte came out and joined us. Charlotte sat next to Tristen and rested her head on his shoulder. He tenderly kissed her forehead. Whatever lay ahead for these two, I knew they'd be okay. The next morning, Azra and I headed back to La Push. By the time we got there, it was a little after 3 PM.

"I'm going to head over to Quil and Seth's garage and see if I can get a few hours of work in," Azra said.

"Okay," I replied. "I have to go over to the Uleys and get my car."

Azra looked at me carefully before saying, "Don't let her get to you."

"I probably won't even see her," I answered. "She should be in school."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that either. A part of me wanted to see Gracie again. I ached to see her. But another part of me wasn't sure if I could look at her just yet.

Of course it didn't matter either way. As soon as I got to the Uley property, the front door opened and Gracie came out.

"Hello Ryan," she said, looking at me sadly before looking at my car.

"Hi," I replied carefully back. I wanted to pull her close to me and never let go. I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her until I knocked some sense into her. Since neither option was a good idea, I stayed where I was with my hands at my sides.

"Nate said you went to Colorado."

"Yeah."

"I didn't think you were coming back."

I sighed. "I told you I was back to stay for good."

She nodded before a couple of tears spilled from her eyes and rolled slowly down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't know why I did what I did."

I gave up trying to resist her then. I couldn't stand to see her this way. She seemed so broken. My Gracie had too much spirit to look that way. I reached for her and pulled her to me. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my chest.

"I told you that you're free to choose anyone you want to be with," I told her over the lump in my throat.

"I don't want to be with Zack though," she said and I felt some of my tension ease. "I was mad at you and I wanted to lash out, but all it made me feel was like shit."

I hesitated before I said, "You hurt me."

"I know." She pulled back and looked at me with sad eyes. "Why aren't you angry with me?"

"I am," I said truthfully. I continued even though it killed me to do so, "But we're not together. It's not like you cheated on me or anything. You're not obligated to be with me just because I imprinted on you. I only want you to be happy."

Gracie bit her lip before asking, "You said before that we were connected and you can feel my emotions. What did you mean by that?"

"I can feel when you're really depressed. I knew when you were in danger on New Year's. I felt your pain as though it were my own. The past few years away from you were the worst though. I felt empty inside without you."

Gracie frowned. "Does the connection work both ways?"

"What do you mean?"

"I felt empty when you were gone, too. Was it because I was missing you on some subconscious level?"

"Yes," I responded.

"Wow." Gracie shook her head. "All this time I was miserable because you weren't there."

"Pretty much."

Gracie frowned before she pulled away from me. She turned and looked across the yard. "Ryan, I'm so tired. I'm tired of being angry all the time. I want peace. I don't know why I lash out at you the way I do, but I felt horrible all weekend. And I felt miserable when you were gone the past few years, like my soul was ripped to shreds or something. I-I just don't know what I want anymore."

"Grace, we're whatever our imprints need us to be. If you want me out of your life, then I'll listen to you. But I hope we can be friends. If you want nothing more from me than that, I'll accept it."

"So we can date other people?"

"You can, sure," I told her reluctantly even as my stomach twisted angrily at the thought.

"But you won't?"

"I don't really want to," I answered with a shrug before saying, "I don't really see other women anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because all I see is you," I replied simply.

She stared at me intensely for a moment before taking several steps away from me.

"All I've dreamt about these past few years was escaping La Push. I want to go away to college, see the world. I want to have a life, not be stuck here."

"I'd never stop you," I whispered.

"So you'd let me go?" she asked, coming back to my side.

I swallowed painfully. "If that's what you want."

She reached up and touched the side of my face, whispering, "Don't let me go, Ryan."

My heart leapt but I questioned cautiously, "What are you saying?"

Gracie looked confused for a minute. "My parents. Quil and Claire. Nate and Meena. They all seem so happy. I don't want to hurt anymore, and I'm tired of hurting you. Maybe we can try this imprint thing."

"Gracie, you're only seventeen," I told her, trying not to get too hopeful. "We have plenty of time to decide the rest of our lives."

She rested her hands against my chest. "Ryan, if I did go away to college, would you go with me?"

I smiled at her and lifted her chin with my hand. "Yes, I would. If you wanted me to."

"Yeah, I'd like that," she said, wrapping her arms around me. She looked at me through lowered eyes. "Will you give Gabe a chance?"

"Gracie, I'd give you anything in the world, but I can't give you that."

For a minute I thought she was going to let me go. I held my breath nervously as I waited for her angry reaction. I saw the bitterness flash across her face.

Instead of pulling away from me, she said spiritedly, "I'm not going to give up, you know."

I felt a smile tugging on my lips. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

She grinned brightly at me then. "So does this mean you're my boyfriend?"

I tried to suppress the burning joy I now felt. "If that's what you want."

"Well, you're old. I wouldn't be able to tell anyone we're together while I'm in high school, otherwise you'd probably get arrested."

I laughed. "I guess it's a good thing we have a wolf on the police force. I don't see Mac having a problem with it."

"I guess you should kiss me then, huh?"

I grinned stupidly before leaning down to brush my lips against hers. Before we could make contact, I hesitated, "So no more Zack?"

"No more Zack," Gracie promised before glaring. "No more slutty girlfriends in D.C."

I tried very hard to make my face as serious as possible. "I promise. No one else but you."

Our lips came together then, sealing the beginning of our new relationship.


	18. Another Path

A/N – Sorry for the delay in updating this story. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been dealing with a few things recently. I appreciate the patience. As always, this story is rated M. **Please don't read if you're underage.**

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_This above all: to thine own self be true._

_William Shakespeare_

_Hamlet_

**Chapter 18 – Another Path**

_March 9, 2026_

Nate's POV

I grabbed the mail out of the mailbox at the end of our driveway, before heading home and letting myself inside. Searching through the pile, I paused as I saw an envelope addressed to me. Quickly looking around to make sure no one was nearby, I folded it up and stuffed it in my pocket. I heard arguing in the living room and headed that way. I walked in and found Gracie and Ryan sitting on the couch, glaring at each other.

"I don't give a shit," Gracie snapped. "I'm not watching _Starship Troopers_."

"Well, I'm not watching _Chocolat_," Ryan argued back.

I smiled as I watched them. Even though they had been "dating" for almost a month, nothing had really changed between them. They still fought like cats and dogs. I think Ryan sometimes did it deliberately. For some reason, he loved to get a rise out of Gracie, and she always took the bait. I didn't know why he bothered. He usually caved and gave her what she wanted eventually anyway.

There were only two things that Ryan wouldn't budge on. One was the subject of Gabe. Ryan got to the point where he'd just walk out of the room if Gracie mentioned him. And the other was how physical their relationship was.

Thanks to doing patrols with Ryan, I knew he was treating Gracie like the Virgin Mary. They went as far as kissing, but Ryan always pulled back if things started to get hot and heavy between them. He had issues getting intimate with Gracie while she was still a seventeen-year-old high school student, and he was an almost thirty-two year old man. And I, being her brother, fully supported them taking it slow. When it got to the point where things got more passionate between Ryan and Gracie, I had the feeling I'd want to gouge my eyes out with a hot poker rather than see him get physical with my sister.

I was pretty proud of Gracie for even giving them a chance. When I had come back from my Valentine's Day date with Meena, I had found Gracie locked in the bathroom, crying her eyes out. Apparently, she had decided to go on a cleaning streak that night. She washed her clothes, cleaned the house, and took a bath for several hours. I thought it was weird, but when I asked her about it she blew up at me.

"How could you not tell me about imprinting?" she'd screamed that night.

"This is what you're upset about?" I asked.

"Ryan's my soul mate and you didn't think I had the right to know?"

"What happens between you and your wolf is your business," I told her. "And what exactly is your problem this time? You have a guy who worships the ground you walk on. Who would die for you! And you're bitching because of why?"

"You all lied to me," she yelled. "How could you not tell me?"

"Ryan was the one that needed to explain things," I had replied as patiently as I could. When I saw her jaw set stubbornly, I lost it. "God dammit Gracie, are you seriously going to mess this up? Get over it already! Don't you even realize how different you act…how different you _feel _since Ryan's come back? I know because I've been there. When Meena lived on the other side of the country, I felt like I had been ripped to shreds. But when she came back, even when we weren't together, the pain went away just because she was nearby. You can't tell me you haven't felt the same way since Ryan's reappeared, because I know you'd be lying."

She stormed into her room after I said that, and I didn't see her again until the next morning. Later that day, Quil, Claire, Jared, and Kim had come over to visit with my parents. Meena had also shown up to see me. The entire time I felt Gracie watching everyone, as though she were studying us. She eventually came over to me and quietly asked where Ryan was. When I'd told her he went to Colorado, she had gotten teary-eyed and gone back into her room. I finally went to check on her when she didn't come back after an hour. I'd found her sitting on her bed, looking despondently at her feet.

"What's wrong?" I had asked.

"Nate, I've done something really bad," she whispered with terrified eyes.

And I knew that something was really wrong. Going by Ryan's stilled behavior when I had talked to him on the phone before his Colorado trip, and Gracie's behavior the night before, I knew something had gotten messed up between them.

"What happened?" I questioned, but she had just shaken her head.

"I did the one thing I knew would really hurt him," Gracie replied, pulling her knees up to her chest. "He'll never forgive me."

"Do you want him to?"

She had seemed to hesitate before nodding slowly. "Yes."

I sat down on her bed and hugged her close. "Then apologize. Ryan will forgive you."

"Because he has to," she remarked bitterly.

"No…because he loves you," I told her simply. "He always has; he always will."

And whatever I said must have finally sunk into her brain, because they started dating as soon as Ryan came back.

"Fine," Gracie said, pulling me back to the present. "You can watch your stupid lame ass movie if I get to watch mine afterwards."

Ryan grinned. "Darling, I love when you're so accommodating."

"Accommodating my ass," Gracie grumbled as she got off the couch and put the movie in.

"Hey," I said with a chuckle. Gracie looked startled to see me. Ryan, having already sensed my presence, didn't take his eyes off Gracie as she moved across the room.

"Hey," he replied as Gracie sat back down next to him. He instantly wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her neck.

"Did you change your perfume? You smell great," he told her.

"I switched shampoos," she replied, before looking at me. "You want to watch the dumbest fucking movie ever made with us?"

I laughed. "As appealing as that sounds, no. I've got a date with Meena tonight."

"You kids behave yourselves now," Ryan instructed, finally looking at me and wiggling his eyebrows. "It's a school night after all."

"We'll try our best, Dad," I replied dryly, causing him to roll his eyes in response. "You're patrolling later, right?"

"Yep," Ryan answered, lifting Gracie's hand to his mouth and kissing it. Her eyes narrowed in response.

"But not until after we watch my movie, right?"

"Oh sure," Ryan said innocently.

"Ryan, you—"

He leaned over and kissed her before she could say anything else. I shifted uncomfortably. Just because I accepted their relationship didn't mean I wanted to witness this shit.

"And on that note, I'm out of here," I muttered. Ryan pulled away long enough to say "bye" before kissing my sister again.

With my face wrinkled in disgust, I made my way back outside and got into my Chevelle. I started the car and headed towards Forks. Minutes later, I pulled onto the Black property. I went up to the great white house and knocked on the door. Renesmee answered with her purse and car keys in her hand.

"Oh Nate, hello," she said, stepping back so that I could enter the home.

"Hi. Is Meena here?"

"Yes, she's upstairs in her room," Ness said, looking down at her watch. "Listen, I'm meeting up with Rachel and Rebecca for some shopping, so you two are on your own. There's food in the refrigerator if you get hungry."

"Okay, thanks," I replied politely.

She then gave me a knowing look and added, "Jacob will be home shortly so behave in the meantime."

"Of course," I told her with my most winning smile. She shook her head and went out the door.

I hurried to Meena's room. I found her on her bed, lying on her stomach with her legs swaying in the air behind her. She was flipping through a magazine looking bored. Her head popped up when I entered.

"Hi," she said, giving me a smile that made my heart slam inside my chest.

"Hi yourself," I told her, sitting on the floor in front of her bed.

I leaned my head back so that I was looking at the ceiling. Meena bent forward to lightly brush my lips with hers. Even though we were upside down of each other, the contact of our mouths still made electricity shoot out over my skin. Meena pulled away and turned around, reaching for a folded paper on the nightstand next to her bed.

"I got this in the mail today," she told me. "I got in. What about you?"

I pulled the envelope that had come in the mail out of my pocket and began to examine it.

"Open it up," Meena instructed excitedly.

I put my finger under the flap and ripped it open. Reaching inside, I pulled out a folded piece of formal paper.

_Dear Mr. Uley, We are pleased to announce that you have been accepted at Peninsula College…_

"I got in, too," I told Meena blandly as my eyes skimmed the rest of the letter.

"You don't seem too excited about it," Meena responded.

I shrugged. "There's really no point. I can't attend anyway."

"Why not?" she asked. "Nate, this college is in Port Angeles. That's only an hour drive from the rez. You can still do your pack duties while following your heart."

"It not that easy," I told her. "I'm on call all the time. This is my destiny."

"What is? To live on the rez your whole life, protecting the tribe on the off chance that dangerous vampires will show up in the area, and not doing what makes you really happy?" Meena moved so that she was behind me and started to rub my shoulders. "Nate, you're only eighteen. And if you choose, you're going to have an immortal existence ahead of you—"

"What do you mean _if_ I choose?" I interrupted her with a frown, turning so that I was facing her. I picked up her one hand and kissed the back of it. "Meena, I want to be with you forever. I love you."

She got a little misty-eyed, but said, "I love you, too. I still don't understand though why you can't go to college. I mean, you haven't even discussed it with your parents yet. It's 2026. People are allowed to multi-task nowadays. You've told me before you want to do computer programming. You should start your career now because technology will always be advancing."

I looked back down at the letter. "The school _does_ have a really good Information Technology program there."

"You should go for it, Nate," Meena said.

I chuckled quietly as I folded the letter up and put it back in my pocket. "Why are you so determined to see me go?"

"Because it's what you want, and it'll make you happy. Besides, we could all do with a little normalcy in our lives."

"What are you going to study?" I questioned.

"Culinary Arts," she replied, her eyes twinkling. "I want to learn how to cook gourmet meals for my man and his pack."

I snorted. "Why don't I just throw an apron on you and stick you in the kitchen now."

"Just an apron? Do I get anything else to wear?" Meena asked suggestively as she leaned in closer to me.

"I…uh…" I tried to focus, but I was struggling to pull my eyes from Meena's plump lips. "I thought we were going to college to get away from pack duties."

She shrugged. "While you still have a pack, I want to help you with it. I have an eternity to go back to school someday to become a brain surgeon. So will you talk to your parents?"

"Yeah, okay," I replied as her mouth got within inches of mine.

I closed the distance, covering her lips with mine hungrily. Meena wrapped her hands around the back of my neck to hold me to her. My tongue slipped out, tracing the soft fullness of her lips. Her mouth immediately parted, allowing me access inside.

I crawled up on the bed next to her without breaking contact with her mouth. She leaned back until she was pressed against the mattress with me hovering over her. My knee went between her legs, pressing against the space between her thighs. This was something I knew Meena liked. She broke her mouth away from mine and threw her head back. I began to kiss the sensitive area under her chin, breathing in her sweet wildflower scent.

My hands roamed over her body, resting on the delicate curve of her breast. I bent down and kissed it through her t-shirt. All promises to Renesmee to behave flew out of my head as I saw Meena's nipple pucker through the material. Groaning, I pulled on it with my teeth. Meena sighed my name in return and began to squirm.

I leaned back and reached for the hem of her shirt so that I could pull it off of her. Once it was removed, I went back and cupped her breast, running my finger over the turgid center. Kissing her other curve softly, I made my way down to her belly button where I nibbled on the skin there.

I could smell Meena's arousal getting stronger the closer I got to her inner thigh area. The wolf inside me began to howl hungrily. I undid the fastening of her jeans, before sliding them down and off her legs. I went back and kissed the area above her panty line.

"Nate," Meena said hesitantly, though her voice was rich with desire.

"I just want to touch," I told her, trying my best to not slip out of control.

She nodded slowly. I started kissing her belly again as my index finger traced circles on the area just below the hem of Meena's underwear. When I felt some of the stiffness leave her limbs, I became bolder, cupping her mound with my hand. Pressing my palm to her pubic bone, I moved it back and forth. I watched Meena's eyes roll in her head as she began to push against me. I heard her breath hitch as I pushed my finger between her folds. I continued to caress her until, she finally moaned out my name. I watched in delight as her body tautened and the warmth at her center increased as she reached her erotic peak.

Though my own body ached in need, I still resisted the urge to join myself to her. Instead, I decided to satisfy a curiosity I had. Slipping my hand under the band of her panties, I slid a finger across her wet center. Meena's gaze flew to me, her eyes wide. Pulling my hand away, I began to lift it to my lips.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a barely coherent tone.

"I just need to taste you," I murmured, the wolf inside getting overly anxious. I needed this.

"No," Meena said, grabbing my hand and stopping me.

"Yes, I want to—"

"Nate, you can't," she told me, sitting up shakily and pulling her clothes back on.

I paused as I looked at the panicked expression on her face. I suddenly understood.

"Carlisle said that you most likely weren't venomous there. He ran tests on you before, remember? I should be safe."

"He didn't run them on me while I was a-aroused," she replied, her face flushing red.

"Meena, I'll be fine," I assured her.

I had to taste her now if for no other reason then to give Meena some peace of mind. We had been getting more physical over the past few months, but Meena always stopped when things started to go too far. Just like now. I brought my hand back up to my mouth.

"Nate, no," she stated firmly, forcing my hand back down. "I'm not playing Russian Roulette with your life."

"When will be right, then?" I snapped, my arousal beginning to wane as my anger and frustration took over. I jumped off the bed and began to pace. "Jesus, Meena. You're my imprint. I was made to be with you. Do you ever expect us to be together? I'm planning on becoming immortal for you. Aren't we supposed to ever mate?"

I knew I sounded irrational and moronic, but sexual frustration mixed in with one irate wolf was making me act like a complete jackass. Meena apparently thought so too.

"So is sex all that matters to you then?" she asked angrily. "Am I supposed to spend the rest of our existence doing you every day?"

"Apparently not," I answered snidely. "Since we can't even fool around without leaving the damned panties on. You know what? Give me your cell phone."

"What?" Meena questioned, looking at me like I had gone insane. Then again, maybe I had. "Why?"

"Because I need to call Carlisle."

"What for?"

"Oh you know…" I replied sarcastically. "Just your typical conversation…hey Carlisle…how's it going? I was just wondering if Meena's come will kill me."

Meena flew off the bed and came over to me, giving me a shove on the chest. "You stupid, insensitive jerk. I'm worried about your life, and all you can think about is satisfying your penis!"

I almost smiled at that…almost. Hearing my prim and proper imprint talk in such terms was sort of a turn on…God, I really was a pervert. I felt my anger slowly drain from me as I saw the hurt hidden in Meena's eyes. I reached out to wrap my arms around her waist, but she backed away. I flinched in response.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "You're right. We shouldn't take chances."

"Why did you have to imprint on me?" Meena asked heartbrokenly. She went over to her bed and sat down, covering her face with her hands. I felt like I had just been sucker punched.

"Are you…" I had to swallow past the pain in my throat before I could continue. "Are you sorry I imprinted on you?"

"I don't know," she replied so quietly I could barely hear her. "We're so completely incompatible."

"We're so completely right for each other," I countered. I went over and kneeled down in front of her, forcing her hands away from her face so that I could look at her. "Meena, even if we can never be together that way, it will never change my feelings for you. I love you. You're it for me, no matter what happens. But I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I want you so badly it's hard for me to think of anything else. And if you take out the emotion and look at it logically, there's a reason why I imprinted on you. I don't know what that reason is, but I wouldn't have imprinted on you if we weren't supposed to be together in every way possible. I think you've got to give us a chance and trust that everything will work out how it's meant to."

"Trust in fate," she returned.

"Exactly."

"Hmm…" Meena said thoughtfully. She took me by complete surprise when she moved her hand down to her panties and slid it under the material. Her eyes never left mine as seconds later, she pulled her hand away and placed it near my mouth. The scent of her desire filled my senses making me harden again.

"So who should I call if you react badly?" she asked. "I don't really want to call my grandfather and explain what we were doing."

"Embry," I replied then hesitated.

She raised her eyebrow at me, as if to say, _get on with it_. I knew what we were doing was important. This wasn't about romance, hormones, or love. This was purely clinically.

Taking her wrist in my hand, I brought her fingers until they were against my mouth. I parted my lips and licked her essence with my tongue. I didn't know what I expected to happen. Perhaps my head would spin or my throat would swell. If she was venomous, then I would definitely feel pain. Instead, all that happened was that the wolf inside me went crazy as I savored her wildflower-flavored womanliness.

"How do you feel?" Meena asked nervously.

I chuckled as I tried to fight the urge to grab her and finish what we started. All I got out was, "Definitely not venomous there…wow."

She opened her mouth to say something when we heard the front door on the main floor open.

"Meena?" Jake's voice rang out.

Meena's eyes widened as she looked down the front of me. I followed her gaze to my pants. Shit! I couldn't let Jacob see me in this state. Meena quickly threw on her clothes and grabbed my hand. I had the strange sensation that I had been dunked under water without getting wet.

"I made us invisible," she said. "Come on."

We hurried over to the bedroom window. Opening it without letting go of my hand, Meena dragged me out of it. We went stumbling to the ground one story below.

"Meena." We heard Jacob call out again. We took off running towards the forest.

"Meena Isabelle Black," Jake's voice roared all of a sudden. "I know you were just here. Your scent is too fresh. You've got exactly ten seconds to make your ass visible or you'll be grounded for the next month!"

"Shit!" Meena mumbled.

I laughed. "You've got to stop hanging out with the pack. You're picking up our bad language."

She smiled before looking down at my lower half.

"Oh yeah…Jacob killed it," I assured her. "Though I'm probably going to have a serious case of blue balls if this keeps happening."

Meena giggled before letting my hand go. The weird feeling of being underwater disappeared. As we approached the back of the house, Jacob opened up the patio door and folded his arms over his chest.

Without taking his eyes off his daughter, he said, "Nate, go home."

"But—"

"It's okay," Meena said resignedly.

"I'll call you later," I whispered.

"Don't bet on it," Jacob replied glacially.

Torn between wanting to stay and protect my imprint and leaving to ease the tension between father and daughter, I decided the latter choice would probably be better for Meena's sake. As I made my way to my car, I heard Jacob begin to rant about how the house smelled of sex, and that Meena better explain fast. Cringing, I got inside my Chevelle and headed back home. When I got there, it was to find my mom and sister in the kitchen chatting. Ryan was in the other room, finishing the end of his movie.

"I thought you were watching TV with Ryan," I said with a smirk. Gracie grimaced in return.

"There's only so much I can watch of giant bugs attacking people, before I want to beat my head against the wall. Why are you home so early?"

Remembering my promise to Meena to talk to my parents about college, I said, "I wanted to talk to Mom and Dad."

"Your father won't be home for another couple of hours," my mother replied. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Nah, that's okay, thanks," I told her. Heading into the living room, I asked Ryan, "Do you want to run patrol for a bit?"

Sighing, he said, "Might as well."

Getting up from the couch, he turned off the TV, before going into the kitchen. He kissed Gracie on her forehead.

"I'll see you in awhile, brat," he told her.

"Hurry back," Gracie replied with a dramatic bat of her eyes. "I'll save _Chocolat_ for you and we can watch it together."

Groaning, Ryan headed outside with me following close behind. Once we got into the privacy of the woods, we shed our clothes and phased. Jason Pachena joined us and we did our shift peacefully, keeping things G-rated for Jason's sake. I didn't want to share my X-rated thoughts of Meena with him. He was too young.

_I'm not too young, feel free to share,_ Jason said as he listened to my thoughts.

_Don't push it,_ I told him.

Ryan switched the topic to which movie he should make Gracie watch next. We joked about her reactions to a few that we decided on. When Azra, Seth, and Devlin came onto patrol, we decided to head for home. My father was there when I walked in.

I couldn't help but notice how tired my dad looked. I was saddened to see that the lines around his eyes had deepened, and there were now touches of grey in the hair around his temples. He was going to be forty-one this year. I knew I'd have to eventually say goodbye to all my loved ones. It wasn't going to be easy to see them get old while I stayed the same age.

I watched my mom briefly put her hand on my dad's shoulder while they talked and got caught up on their day. His body automatically turned in her direction, seeking out her comfort. She asked him about work as she went about putting the dinner on the table. It was a scene I had witnessed a thousand times before, but seeing the love between them never got old.

The only difference between past and present meals was that our dinners were now almost always accompanied with the constant bickering of Ryan and Gracie. Unlike their former fights though, you could see the affection between them, their bond strengthening as they adjusted to the new roles they were playing in each other's lives.

After dinner, I offered to do the dishes so that Ryan and Gracie could go watch Gracie's movie. Ryan gave me a dirty look when I suggested it. My dad went to get up, but I asked him to wait. When I was alone with both parents and the dishes were done, I pulled out my college acceptance letter that I still had on me.

"This…uh…this came in the mail for me today," I told them nervously. My mom read it first, a smile forming on her lips, before she passed it to my dad. He frowned in response.

"Oh honey, I'm so proud of you," my mother said with a sniff. "I can't believe my baby got accepted into college."

"Mom, please," I replied embarrassingly. I hated when she went all mushy on me.

"What about your pack duties?" my father asked.

"Well, I thought I could get an apartment between here and Port Angeles. You know, somewhere close to school, but where I could still get back to La Push every day to patrol and check on things."

"I think that's reasonable," my mom said with a smile. She reached out and squeezed my father's hand. "Sam, he can't stay here forever. He's got a life outside of the pack. He's got an imprint now. He needs some space to branch out and grow."

"I know that," my dad grumbled. He looked at me with saddened eyes. "Is this what you really want?"

"Yeah…it is," I admitted. "I've wanted to study computers for awhile…ever since I was a kid and Leah's husband gave me my first computer game. I just never thought I'd get this chance once I phased. But things are kind of peaceful in the area right now, and I'd really like to do this, Dad."

He ran his hand wearily over his face. "Okay. But the pack comes first. I mean it, Nate. If there's an emergency, even if you're in the middle of class—"

"I'll drop everything, I promise," I told him, excitement filling me.

"And I'll want to see where you're living and take a tour of the campus, so we can plan the quickest routes home for you."

My mom rolled her eyes, but I just nodded and said, "Sure. Meena got accepted too. Maybe we can arrange a day to go to the campus with the Blacks."

_If Jake didn't kill me first for this afternoon._

I watched my father stiffen. He and Jacob hadn't spoken since they got into that fight in the hospital the day Gracie got hurt. My mother reached out and ran her fingers along my dad's arm.

"You'll have to talk to him again someday," she reminded him. "What better time then when our children are about to begin a new step in their lives."

"Fine," my dad grumbled.

My mom winked at me. "You'll get it arranged, Nate?"

"Sure, I'll call Meena now."

I hurried off to my room and pulled out my cell phone. Meena answered on the second ring.

"You're still alive, I see," I joked.

"Yes," she laughed. "My father had said he was going to ground me for the next hundred years, but my mother talked him into giving me time off for good behavior since I never typically do anything worthy of punishment. However, we aren't allowed to be in my room together anymore unless there's someone in the house with us that has ultra-sensitive hearing. I also had to sit through a lecture on the birds and bees with my father for an hour. No offense, but that kind of put me off any sexual urges for the foreseeable future."

"Fair enough," I chuckled. "Listen, I talked to my dad and mom about college. They were pretty supportive, though my dad wants to check out the campus so he can plot out routes I can take in case of an emergency. I was thinking both our families could go together and take a tour of the campus."

"That sounds like a great idea," Meena said with relief. "Plus, it'll get our parents talking again."

"Precisely," I told her, feeling proud of myself for my brilliant plan.

"No wonder you're the Alpha," she joked. "My boyfriend's a genius."

"You just caught on to that, huh?"

I could just picture Meena's exasperated expression.

"Whatever," she said dryly. "Anyway, have a good night. I love you."

"Love you too," I replied before disconnecting the call. Laying down on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling, feeling truly content for the first time in a long time.

Gracie and Ryan were giving things a shot.

As far as I knew, Gabriel Black was enjoying his life with the Cullen clan.

Meena and I had gone further physically than we'd ever gone before…and I lived to tell the tale.

Things finally seemed to be looking up…for all of us.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

**I hope this chapter shed some light as to why Gracie gave Ryan a chance. The next POV is Gabe's, which I know some of you have been asking for. To my fellow Americans, have a safe and fun holiday weekend.**

**And please take a moment to review! Thanks everyone!**


	19. The Truth Shall Set You Free

_At lovers' perjuries, they say Jove laughs._

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo and Juliet_

**Chapter 19 – The Truth Shall Set You Free**

_March 11, 2026_

Gabe's POV

"I'm trying my best, but Ryan's just not relenting," Gracie told me over the phone.

"Gracie," I said, rubbing my forehead tiredly with my hand. "I appreciate the relentless effort you're making on my behalf—I really do—but I'm fine where I am."

"But it's ridiculous that you can't come back to this area and see your family."

This was a conversation Gracie and I had been having ever since I was banished. I talked to her at least once a week, and every time she mentioned how unfair life was to me.

"My family can come here and see me anytime they want," I reminded her, feeling a pang in my stomach. My parents had been up to visit me in Vancouver several times since the New Year's incident.

I didn't think I would ever forget the disappointment that had been on both of my parents' faces as I'd recapped what had transpired between Gracie and me the night I fed of off her. My other family members in Vancouver, particularly my grandfather Edward and great-grandfather Carlisle had also been saddened by my setback. But they didn't come out and blame me. Several members of our family had slipped and attacked humans over the years. Grandfather had even lived off of them for a short time after Great-Grandmother Esme had joined the family. My family was careful to withhold their judgment of me, especially as I was already judging myself enough at it was.

The one person who had become more reserved with me was my twin. In a way, I understood where Meena was coming from. After all, she was more of a vampire than me. She had to have blood regularly, whereas I only needed it periodically. Being in school and surrounded by humans was more of a struggle for her than it was for me. But she always resisted the temptation. Even when she saw Gracie's cut arm that night after I'd fed off of her, Meena had held her breath instead of letting the bloodlust affect her.

I just really wished there was a way I could see Meena. We had never gone so long without being around each other. But perhaps our separation was a good thing. After all, we had an eternity in front of us. We couldn't live in each other's pockets that entire time. But I wished she would at least come up and see me. We had talked a few times on the phone since New Year's. Our conversation each time had been stilted. At least I knew she was happy though.

But the reality of it all was that I was lonely. I missed my twin. I missed getting to see Gracie. Things weren't exactly ideal in my current home. My grandfather and I had a strained relationship. It had been like that ever since I had slept with Tanya the previous summer. And being around my vampire relatives reminded me of her all the time. It made me feel restless and unhappy.

However, things in my life were better in general. It was a relief to be away from Nate Uley. The ever present tension I'd always felt anytime I stepped onto La Push lands—onto another Alpha's territory—was gone. It was also nice to not have to try so hard to be normal around regular students. People didn't know how hard it was for Meena and me.

We'd both been isolated most of our lives. We had to be because of our rapid growing. We grew up with vampires for company with the occasional wolf dropping by for a visit. We weren't normal and sometimes it was a real struggle at school to try to fit in. We didn't know how to act around humans. I knew that people thought we could be cold and distant, especially when they viewed Meena, but it was only because we didn't know how to express ourselves around them. So in that regard, it was a relief to be away from the constant presence of humans.

"Gracie, I'm fine where I am," I told her now. "Even if I could come back, I wouldn't want to, so stop pissing off your imprint. Tensions will never ease if you keep harping on him."

"Fine," she pouted. "Jeez, what's got your tail into a matted knot?"

I chuckled. "Nothing. I'm great. Tell me what's up with you. How are things at school?"

"Boring as usual," she replied. "There's a flu bug going around right now. I think I might be coming down with a case myself, which is going to really piss me off. Nothing ticks me off more than being ill, you know?"

"Actually, I don't," I told her dryly. "I don't get sick. Vampire genes and all."

"You suck," Gracie whined. "Anyway, Ryan's been shoving chicken noodle soup in my direction, just in case. But otherwise nothing new has been happening. Meena and Nate are getting ready for graduation. They're going with our parents on Friday to check out a college in Port Angeles they got accepted into."

I swallowed over the painful lump that had formed in my throat. "I didn't know she was thinking of going to college in that area."

"Yeah, well, she goes where Nate goes and vice versa, right? That's the bitch about imprinting."

"Are you sorry it happened to you?" I asked, trying not to show my envy. I wondered if my life would have peace in it if I imprinted. What would it be like to have someone love you unconditionally like that? Everyone I knew who had experienced that mystical connection seemed so happy.

"Honestly, it's kind of weird," Gracie answered hesitantly. "Ryan and I were friends for so long. It's strange kissing your best friend. Yet, it feels so completely right, too. I don't know…we're adjusting to each other. When I don't want to hit Ryan over the head, I want to do nothing but kiss and hug him."

"You're happy though, aren't you?"

"Yeah…" she said slowly. "Yeah, I'm happy. Things just seem—I don't know—right somehow. I had always felt so unsettled these past few years. But now that Ryan and I are getting close again, things just seem better for me. I feel...I guess peaceful is the best way to describe it."

I stared out my bedroom window and felt a tug of longing. Gracie did seem different now that Ryan was back in her life. She seemed calmer.

"I'm glad for you, Gracie," I told her truthfully.

"So what about you?" she asked. "Are you dating anyone?"

I laughed at that. "Who exactly am I supposed to date? I only see my family members."

"You need to get out," she informed me. "You're in freaking Vancouver for Christ's sake. That's a good size city. You should be out partying your ass off. In fact, I'm ordering you to take whichever relative of yours won't kill a human and go to some club. I'm sure you could pass for a college student."

Grinning, I said, "I'll try my best to follow your orders."

"Good," Gracie replied in satisfaction. "I guess I should let you go. Ryan's coming over in a little bit."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later," I told her. We said our goodbyes and hung up. I felt cheered up, but then Gracie had that effect on me. I loved that girl, though I wasn't in love with her. I was glad that even though we'd almost had sex, it hadn't ruined our relationship. I had a feeling we'd be friends for the rest of her life. A knock on my bedroom door distracted me.

"Come in," I called out. Uncle Emmett came bursting in seconds later, his aura glowing in bright colors indicating he was up to no good.

"Rose wants to go shopping downtown. Do you want to come with us?" He asked it casually, but I could see the pleading in his eyes.

I smiled wickedly. "Don't you want to hit all the shops with her?"

Emmett's eyes narrowed. "I'm only thinking of you. According to the minx you just got off the phone with, you're supposed to get out of the house. I'm merely being accommodating."

"Accommodating, my ass," I muttered. "And Gracie's isn't a minx. I'd also appreciate if you wouldn't eavesdrop on my conversations."

"Whatever," Emmett replied. "It will be your ass if you don't get out of the house and come with me. I mean it, Gabriel. I will make your life miserable if you don't keep me entertained."

"Fine." I sighed resignedly. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

"You know," Emmett stated. "I liked you better when you acted like a teenager."

"Sorry for growing up on you," I responded as I headed for my closest to pick out some clothes to wear.

Carlisle had recently accessed that I was now physically eighteen though he figured that Meena and I still hadn't reached immortality yet since Meena was still getting her period. We had always physically aged slower than our mother had. Carlisle estimated that we had another year or so before we reached full maturity.

"We're leaving in a half hour," Emmett warned.

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled as I grabbed some fresh jeans and one of my favorite hoodie sweatshirts.

Going into the bathroom, I took a quick shower and got dressed. Once I was through, I went into the kitchen for breakfast, which my great-grandmother had prepared for me. Emmett sat down next to me, grimacing as he looked at my food.

"Are we going or what?" Aunt Rosalie asked as I shoved some toast into my mouth.

"Let the boy eat in peace," Esme remarked in an admonishing tone.

Rosalie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. Emmett grinned at her before looking at me and giving me a shrug, as if to say, _what can you do?_ I was only thankful that Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper were on another honeymoon. Otherwise I would have had two impatient female waiting for me to hurry up so that they could shop.

Finally cramming the rest of my food in my mouth, we got into Aunt Rosalie's favorite car and headed downtown. We followed her into shop after shop until around noon. Uncle Emmett used the excuse that he heard my stomach growl to escape. We headed off towards a pub while Rosalie continued on her shopping excursion.

As we walked into the building, people stopped what they were doing to stare at us. A few mouths dropped open as they took in the sight of us; two huge guys who probably set off a very creepy predatory-type vibe.

With my eyes on the ground, I made my way over to a booth. Emmett followed, all teeth as he smiled at people. They shuddered and quickly looked away…or worse, watched him in a way that reminded me of a deer caught in headlights.

"The food smells good in here, huh?" Emmett remarked with a smirk, his eyes on a young waitress who dropped her tray when she saw him looking at her. Her heart began to beat so quickly and loudly, I was surprised others in the bar couldn't hear it.

"She's cute," Emmett said with a nod towards the waitress.

"I guess," I replied, not really paying attention.

"What is with you anymore?" he asked impatiently.

"What do you mean?" I questioned. The waitress came over and took our order. I asked for a soda with a club sandwich and fries. Emmett only ordered a glass of water.

"You're so depressing anymore. Hell, you're worse than Edward when Bella was still a human. I never thought anyone could top his emo mood swings."

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was acting any differently than normal."

The waitress came over with our drinks. As soon as she was out of earshot, Emmett said, "Do you know what your problem is?"

"I can't even begin to guess," I answered dryly.

"You need to get laid," he replied.

I almost choked on the soda I had just taken a sip of. My uncle hit me hard on the back. If I had been human, he would have shattered a bone.

"Excuse me?" I questioned once I got my breath back.

"You heard me. You need to play a game of hide the salami with some woman, put your hot dog in the bun, bury your wand in her chamber of secrets—"

"I think I get your point," I interrupted sardonically.

"I'm not sure that you do, Gabe. You're a young, good-looking kid, yet you live like a monk. You keep yourself isolated all the time, even from us. It's not healthy. You need to get out more. You need to meet girls. You should be hitting tail left and right. You are interested in sex, right?"

He looked so horrified at the notion that I might not be, I had to laugh.

"Yes, Uncle Emmett. I would like to have sex again."

"Then pick any girl in this room and I'll arrange it."

"What are you, my pimp?"

"I'm just trying to help you along."

"No offense, but if you tried to help me, you'd probably give a girl a heart attack if you approached them."

Emmett's smiled widely at that. He threw his hands on the back of his head and leaned in his chair.

"Yeah, I do have that effect on women, don't I?"

I snorted. "I think it's more that they would drop dead in fear than the fact that you've wowed them."

"So you say," Emmett replied, sitting straight again. "But in all seriousness, I'm worried about you, Gabe. We all are."

I shifted uncomfortably, "I'm fine."

"Don't you want to meet a mate though?"

"I met a mate…someone I cared about, and Grandfather scared her away," I reminded him.

"Meh, you can do better than Tanya," Emmett stated. I tried to not lose my temper.

"She made me happy."

"You've only talked to her a half dozen times in your life," he said, completely discounting what I was saying.

"And you don't think that's enough for me to realize how I feel?" I asked bitterly. "How long did it take you to know that Aunt Rosalie was the one?"

He opened his mouth to argue before closing it again. "Yeah…good point."

"Something changes inside a vampire when they meet the one they're supposed to be with," I reminded him. "Just because I'm not a full vampire doesn't mean the same rules don't apply. I've loved Tanya since I was twelve. But it doesn't matter anyway. She moved on and found someone else."

The waitress brought me my food, causing us to pause in our conversation. I ate my sandwich with a twisted stomach.

Emmett watched me thoughtfully. "What are you going to do with your life in the meantime? If you don't want to pick up some girl, I mean. You'll be graduating any day. What about college?"

I shrugged. "I haven't given it much thought."

I had recently taken an exam to test out of high school. All I was waiting on were the results to see if I graduated or not, which were due any day. I finished my meal and we went out to find my aunt. She was waiting for us by her car. We headed back to our Vancouver home.

As I entered the house, it was to find my grandparents and great-grandparents in the living room waiting for us. They all seemed to be staring at me anxiously.

"What's going on?" I asked, having the strange sensation that I was something being examined under a microscope.

"This came for you today," my grandma Bella said, handing me an envelope. I looked down and saw that it was my high school test results.

Opening it, I scanned the paper. Giving my family a half smile, I announced, "I passed."

There were hugs and cheers all around. My grandmother kept sniffing about how her little boy was now a high school graduate. Great-Grandfather started mentioning colleges I might want to attend.

"I was thinking of maybe traveling instead," I said on the spur of the moment.

"Where would you go?" Great-Grandma Esme asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe down to South America or China. Places we haven't been to before."

"Well, you're eighteen now. We can't stop you," Great-Grandfather said.

My grandfather looked at me thoughtfully. "Why don't you and I go for a hunt?"

I nodded slowly. Things were so uncomfortable between us. At one time we were so close that only Meena was closer to me. We left the house and began to run deep into the woods that surrounded our place. After we sated our thirst on a couple of elk, I started walking back in the direction of our house.

"Gabriel, wait," Grandfather said. I paused and looked at him.

He was looking out into the forest. He seemed to be deep in thought, as though he were having an inner debate with himself. Hearing my thoughts, Grandfather smiled at me.

"I spoke with Tanya today."

"Oh," I said casually trying to keep my face impassive while my stomach jerked with nerves.

"Yes," Grandfather replied. "News that you were back with us finally reached her. She wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

"Why would she care?" I asked, feeling angry all over again. I thought that we had really connected the last time I saw her. I had fallen in love with her, and she'd only been using me to scratch a lustful urge. I knew she moved on with another vampire quickly after we'd slept together. I continued, "Isn't she living the high life with her new boyfriend?"

"That's the thing…" Grandfather said. "Apparently, she never had another boyfriend."

"What?" I asked, giving my grandfather my full attention. "I thought you said she had moved on."

"That's what she told us. She lied."

"Why would she do that?" I wondered, kicking a rock on the ground casually with my foot. It went flying, denting a nearby tree.

"She wanted to heal the breach between our two families caused when you two slept together."

"There wouldn't have been a breach in the first place if you hadn't overreacted," I snapped. My grandfather held up his hand.

"I know," he said with a sigh. "Gabriel, aside from Bella, you, your sister, Renesmee, and Jacob are the most important people in my life. I have a tendency to—err—overreact when it comes to protecting those that I love. I didn't see what interest Tanya would have in a young man such as you. I also was aware of the fact that she once had feelings for me."

I flinched at that, but it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before.

My grandfather looked at me sympathetically before saying, "I was afraid she was using you. And that I couldn't stand."

"So why are you telling me all this now?" I asked.

"You're eighteen. You're old enough to handle whatever comes your way."

I nodded slowly. "Thank you, Grandfather."

He came over and hugged me, before letting me go. The anger and hostility that had existed between us over the past few months seemed to melt away.

"You're welcome," he returned. "I think I'll head back to the house now. Are you coming?"

"I think I'm going to go for a run," I said. I was feeling restless. I had a sudden urge to burn off the excess energy that was now building inside me.

"Okay, I'll see you in awhile," Grandfather replied. He gave me a smile I didn't quite understand before turning and leaving.

I started running, uncertain of my path. I ran in human form, not paying attention to the scenery as it flew by me. I continued on for hours, unconscious of where I was headed until I saw a sign that said, "Welcome to Alaska."

The sight of it spurned me on, my destination chosen. I continued until I picked up the faint sweet scent of vampire. One had the heady scent of jasmine attached to it. The smell made me run even faster until I was standing outside of a large beige house. Panting slightly, I raised my hand and knocked on the door. Moments later, the woman who had haunted my dreams for months answered it.

"Gabe," Tanya said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to ask you a question," I replied, still panting slightly. I didn't miss the fact that her aura had glowed brightly upon seeing me…a very good sign.

"Okay," she responded.

"Were you and me just some meaningless urge on your part, or did you feel anything for me at all that night last summer?"

She looked behind me as if looking for someone…probably my angry grandfather.

"He's not here," I told her and saw her surprise at my accurate reading of her emotions. "But he did tell me that you lied about having a boyfriend. Why would you do that?"

Tanya nervously tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear.

"It's complicated," she finally said.

"Then let me make it uncomplicated for you," I offered. I walked into the hallway of the house. She stepped backwards until her back was pressed against a wall. I moved my hands so that they were on either side of her, caging her in. "Here's what I think happened. I think you said you had a boyfriend because you wanted to make peace with my family. I also think you said what you did to deter me from pursuing you."

"And why would you think that?" Tanya asked coolly, though her rapidly changing aura gave away her nerves and agitation.

"Because you felt something for me that night, too," I told her simply. "And it scared you."

"You're imagining things," she replied in a faint tone.

"Am I?" I questioned, reaching up to wrap a strand of her hair around my finger.

"You're just a child," Tanya stated. "You only think you feel these things…"

"Tanya, I'm all grown up," I responded, cupping the back of her neck with my other hand. I brought my head down and kissed her full lips. My body shuddered at the contact. I wanted to press myself against her, so that I could prove to her in the most basic way what a man I now was. I ached for her. I resisted though. Last time our coming together was ruled by my hormones. I wasn't some horny teen anymore. Plus, Tanya was unresponsive. She held herself stiff, her lips closed.

"Baby, kiss me back," I pleaded. She instantly shook her head.

"If you kiss me," I negotiated, while moving my lips to her neck and sucking on the cord there. "I'll make sure you don't regret it."

Tanya tilted her head slightly, giving me better access. "So many people got hurt before…Edward will be so angry with me, and—"

"He was the one who told me the truth," I reminded her.

"Did he really?" she asked in a hopeful tone.

"Yes, he did," I told her, moving my mouth once more to hers. This time she didn't resist. Her arms wrapped around my back, pulling me to her until there was no space between us.

Things began to get heated quickly. I didn't want to rush things though. I broke my lips away from hers and moved my head so that it could rest on her shoulder. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lifted her up so that her feet were dangling in the air. I held her in my embrace, never wanting to let her go.

"I missed you," she admitted. My body shook upon hearing her words. That night had apparently changed _both_ of us.

"I missed you, too," I muttered against her fragrant skin. "You have no idea how much. I haven't felt like myself for months. I made so many fucking mistakes because I couldn't even think straight."

"How will this work though?" Tanya wondered. "You're a wolf. I'm a vampire."

I pulled back and looked at her. "I'm part vampire too, remember? If I weren't, I don't think we'd be able to be around each other. I've heard rumors that wolves and vampires smell horribly to each other. I haven't noticed that about you. Do I smell offensive to you?"

Tanya smirked. "Well, right now, you smell very manly and sweaty."

I chuckled. "That's probably what I get for running nonstop from Vancouver to here."

She shook her head before hugging me to her. Her tongue licked my salty neck causing me to tremble.

"Mmhmm, you taste really good," she murmured. "What if I get a little overanxious and bite you? Won't my venom kill you?"

I grinned widely at that. "Can I make you 'overanxious'?"

Tanya impressively kept her face straight, though I saw the merriment in her eyes. "If your performance in the meadow last year was anything to go by, I'd say definitely."

"Well then, let me reassure you," I told her. "Meena used to bite me when we were little. I never reacted to it. Sometimes it's a good thing to be part vampire."

"Well then…" she said. She pushed on my shoulders and I put her back on the ground. Grabbing my hand, she led me deeper into the house. "Let me show you to your room."

"So I can stay?"

"Just you think about leaving," she warned with a smirk. "The room has a private bath if you want to shower. I think Garrett might have some clothes that fit you."

We went up some stairs and Tanya led me inside a bedroom.

"Will this room work for you?" she asked, her tone taking on a seductive quality.

I looked around and felt a smile tugging on my face. There was a large king sized bed in the middle of the room. Perfume bottles lined a dresser that had a large mirror on it. Looking to the other side of the room, I saw that the closet door was open. It was filled with feminine clothing. This room was obviously Tanya's. For the first time in months, I felt myself bursting with joy.

"Yeah," I said, pulling her against my hardening body. "This room is perfect."

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**End Note**

Special thanks to Eirelav for your help with Emmett's "chamber of secrets" line, and to Jessica for pre-reading this (lol, even though I sent you the wrong version).

**Please take a moment to review! I love hearing from you, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on Tanya and Gabe. :)**


	20. A Tale Of Two Kisses

Hello any readers I have left after such a long absence. I put a note on my profile that I was taking a break from Stormy and Absent Imprint to work on some other projects, but I hadn't planned on taking so long. Thanks for your patience! During my "break," I was able to complete my two other fan fics, Healing Hands and the extended version of First Imprint: Sam's Story (found on Twilighted). I also wrote a good chunk of my original story, which is almost done! And I wrote a Stormy prequel/one shot which I posted a few days ago called _Renesmee's First Christmas_. I hope you'll check it out if you haven't already.

Updates will continue to be slow on my fics until I wrap up my original story, though it won't be as bad as before. If you follow me on Twitter, I'll keep you updated on where I am with my stories. I'll also continue to post sneak peeks and spoilers on Twitter to this story and AI when I have them. If you have any interest in my original story, you can find information about it on my blog. Links to all are on my profile page. Thanks again everyone!

**Stormy Recap**

Here's where we left off in this story. Nate and Meena decided that they wanted to go away to college in an attempt to have some normalcy. They and their parents are going to tour a college campus in Port Angeles. It'll be the first time Sam and Jake have really spoken since Gabe fed off Gracie and put her in the hospital. Speaking of Gabe, in the last chapter he found out that Tanya really did care for him. He is now living with her and the rest of the Denali clan. Gracie found out that Ryan imprinted on her when she was a kid. Feeling hurt for not being told the truth, Gracie lashed out in her typical fashion by sleeping with her ex-boyfriend. Hurt, Ryan took off with Azra and spent some time with another pack brother, Tristen. When he returned home, he and Gracie had a talk. They eventually made up and are now slowly trying to work out their problems while giving dating a chance.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Onto the chapter…

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_These violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, w__hich, as they kiss, consume.  
__  
William Shakespeare_

_Romeo and Juliet_

**Chapter 20 – A Tale Of Two Kisses**

_March 26, 2026_

Meena's POV

I carefully piled my hair on top of my head, trying to make myself look as sophisticated as possible. I was more excited than I thought possible over the simple prospect of visiting a college campus with the guy I loved and our parents.

I bit my lip nervously as I thought of our fathers. I hoped my dad and Mr. Uley could get through the day without trying to kill each other. Neither had made an attempt to speak to the other since the big blow up over Gracie Uley a few months ago. Maybe this trip to Port Angeles would heal their wounds. I hoped so anyway.

I really wanted Nate's and my dream of going away to college to work out for several reasons, the most important being Nate. I knew he really wanted this. He was good at school and passionate about computers. He worked so hard at being a great Alpha and strong wolf. His pack depended on him. And having spent a lot of time with the pack over the past few months, I knew how much they admired their leader.

When I saw Nate though, I saw an eighteen-year-old guy who acted like he was forty. I knew I was a serious person by nature, and I think that's why I wanted college so much. We needed to have fun. I could almost picture us going to a coffee shop for brunch or maybe even attending a frat party as I'd seen on television. I wanted Nate to have a retreat…someplace where he didn't have to be the Alpha, but just an ordinary guy.

And perhaps I was a little selfish, but I wanted my own stab at normalcy. On the rez, I stood out. If I went away to college where people were from all walks of life, maybe I'd finally get a chance at blending in and being normal. At least, I could pretend I was normal.

"Meena, they're here," my mom called out. I grabbed my knee-high black boots and pulled them on. Taking a quick glance at myself in the full-length mirror in my room, I decided my outfit would do for my first college visit.

There was a knock on the front door. Hurrying down the stairs, I opened it and flew into Nate's waiting arms, hugging him tight. He chuckled in response before kissing the side of my head.

"It's good to see you, too," he murmured against my hair before giving me a light kiss on the lips. It was brief, but there was so much behind that one gesture. Today was the start of a new phase in both of our lives.

Pulling back sheepishly, I noticed Nate's parents standing behind him. Blushing, I said, "Hello Mr. Uley…Mrs. Uley."

"Oh honey, you know you can call me Emily," Nate's mom said as she gave me a brief squeeze on the arm. She walked by us and entered the house where my mom was waiting.

"Nessie, hey," she said, giving my mother a hug.

"It's good to see you again, Em," my mom replied. "What do you think about these two going off to college?"

Emily immediately sniffed. "I can't believe it. It seems like only yesterday, Nate was suffering from diaper rash and now this."

"Please just kill me now," Nate complained, burying his face in my hair.

"I know what you mean," my mom said. "I remember the hassle of trying to switch Meena from blood to baby formula, and now she's going to leave home."

"And I have the perfect plans for her room too," my dad said as he joined us. "All I can say is…man cave."

My mom elbowed him in the side before saying sarcastically, "Yes, because you don't already have enough space in this house as it is."

"No way, babe. I've got plans. Esme's already helping me with the designs."

"Thanks Dad," I grumbled.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "The couch is comfortable. You'll have a place to crash when you come home for a visit."

"Which is where you're going to be sleeping tonight if you don't stop harassing our daughter," my mom threatened.

My father's face became angelic as he went over to Emily. "It's good to see you, Em."

"Hi Jake," she replied with a laugh.

He then turned to Sam, who was watching everyone with quiet reserve. "Sam, it's good to see you again."

"You too, Jacob," he replied, offering his hand which my father took without hesitation.

Emily let out a delicate cough. Sam's face turned into a slight grimace before he stated gruffly, "Listen Jake, about what happened when Gracie was in the hospital—"

"Forget it," my dad said. "You were understandably upset and we both said and did things we shouldn't have."

Sam nodded in return, looking uncomfortable. My mom turned to my dad and gave him a look.

Clearing his throat, my father stated, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry too."

I watched in amusement as the two former Alphas smiled uneasily at each other, their awkwardness thick in the air. Meanwhile, their wives were looking smug and satisfied with their husbands' apologies.

"Should we break out into Kumbaya now?" Nate asked which caused me to giggle.

"How about if we get on the road instead?" Sam suggested. We made our way to the garage where a station wagon was waiting for us. Granted it was a Mercedes-Benz, but it was still a station wagon. Sam raised an eyebrow at my dad who coughed uncomfortably.

"It's been in the family for years," my mom explained. "Though my Aunt Rosalie won't even acknowledge it."

We piled into the wagon, my parents taking the front seats, Sam and Emily taking the middle section, and Nate and I in the back, and got on our way. The conversation would have been stilted if it weren't for my mom and Emily's determination to keep everything flowing smoothly. They were especially excited about all the wolf girls who were pregnant.

Quil and Claire were currently decorating their spare room in shades of yellow. They had decided to hold off on finding out the sex of their baby so that they could be surprised. Their daughter, Kayley, was hoping for a sister though. Collin and Lindsey had tried to find out what they were having during their last ultrasound, but were unable to.

The only ones who knew for sure what they were having were Embry and Rebecca. They were going to be adding a little girl to their family and planned to name her Magdalen, Maggie for short. Their son, Luke, was excited about having a little sister, though he'd claimed a boy would have been better.

Emily and my mother laughed as they discussed Embry's reaction to the news that he was having a baby girl. Anytime any of the single wolves in the pack paid particular attention to Rebecca, Embry's one eye would start to twitch. Apparently, he was a little paranoid that one of his wolf brothers was going to imprint on his daughter. After all, Brady had imprinted on Kayley Ateara within hours of her being born. Luckily for the pack though, none of the guys seemed to be drawn to Rebecca.

I smiled as I thought about my Uncle Embry. From what I heard, he'd been quite the womanizer before he married my aunt. They say that reformed rakes make the best husbands, and there was no doubt that Embry was very loving and protective of his family…a little too protective, in fact. I already felt bad for my little cousin Maggie. I could almost see my uncle greeting her dates when she became of age with a shotgun in hand.

As I listened to the adults speak, I leaned against Nate and put my head on his shoulder. He rubbed his cheek against my hair before giving my head a kiss. I spent part of our drive to Port Angeles dreaming happily of the day when Nate and I would be going to ultrasound appointments and discussing baby names. At least, I hoped that our future would entail becoming parents.

I wondered if I would have the same fate as my mom. She had only had one chance to have a baby. If my dad hadn't gotten her pregnant when he did, they wouldn't have had kids because her body became immortal after she physically turned eighteen. She'd been pregnant with Gabe and I at the time, and Great-Grandfather Carlisle pretty much had to rip us out of her.

Would I be like my mom and only have a limited window to get pregnant? My body was different than hers. She was half human, half vampire. I was a mix of vampire, human, and wolf. And I aged a lot slower than she did. By the time she was physically my age, her periods had stopped. I was still getting mine. But…I _did _grow at an accelerated speed.

Panic began to rise in me. I hoped I wouldn't be an imprint dud, unable to pass on the genetic lines. It would be horrible, especially for a wolf as important as Nate. He needed to carry on his line.

"You okay?" he asked, his lips brushing my hair again.

"Mmhmm," I told him, moving my head slightly so that I could look at him. "Just anxious."

"About?"

"The future," I said lowly, though I knew our parents who were supernatural could hear us.

"Don't worry about that," Nate said. "As I once read on a fortune cookie, what will be will be. And you know how accurate those are."

He grinned at me and I laughed, before resting my head back on his shoulder. As I looked towards the front of the car, I found myself watching our parents. I grew up witnessing the constant love between my mom and dad. It was there in every gesture and glance they shared. I had gotten so used to it over the years, I didn't even think about it anymore. But as I watched the former Alphas with their imprints, I realized it wasn't just my mom and dad that behaved as though they were two magnets being pulled together. Sam and Emily acted that way too.

My father and mother were currently turned slightly towards each other in the front seats of the car. It was so subtle that you wouldn't even notice it unless you were paying attention. Every so often my dad would reach out and touch my mom's cheek or would rest his hand on her thigh as though he couldn't help himself. He'd occasionally glance over at her, looking at her as if the stars shined out of her. Again, that was nothing new. But as I watched Sam and Emily, I noticed they were doing the same thing.

Their bodies were turned towards each other, Sam's arm resting on the headrest behind Emily. He kept glancing at his wife with the same expression of adoration that my father wore on his face. Emily for the most part seemed oblivious, though I'd see her smile on occasion.

It was fascinating to watch. They reminded me of an electric socket and a lamp. The lamp needed the socket to shine; the socket needed the lamp to have a purpose. You could almost see the currents passing between the wolves and their mates.

I glanced down and found that Nate and I were the same way. Our sides were pressed together right down to our knees and feet. When I looked at Nate through my eyelashes, I found him staring down at me with the same contentedness on his face that I saw in our fathers. I smiled at him and he immediately smiled back.

_What will be will be,_ Nate had said.

_Everything will be fine,_ I assured myself, trying to shake off my unease from earlier.

As we drove, my mind began to wander to the future again as I listened to Emily and my mom converse. Emily was sort of legendary in the pack. She became a second mom to all the guys, even though she'd only been a couple of years older than most of them. But she had taken care of the wolves, feeding them when they were hungry, dressing their wounds if they required it, and listening to them when they needed an ear. Even though my father and Sam had their differences, my dad always spoke about Emily with affection and respect. She was really the perfect partner for Sam. Their relationship wasn't just about him taking care of her because she was his imprint. She took care of him and his wolf family as well, making them equal.

My mom had a completely different experience as an Alpha's imprint. Instead of being seen as a second mother, she had been raised by my dad's pack. She had an isolated childhood like me, but she always had friends around in Embry, Seth, and Quil. Aunt Leah was her best friend, though they'd spent a majority of their relationship talking on the phone or emailing each other as Leah had left the pack when my mom was really young. My mom's role was no less significant in the pack than Emily's though. They were both important and had left their marks on the wolves whose lives they touched.

Now, it was my turn. I hoped that I could contribute to Nate's pack as our mothers had done for their imprinters. I wanted to make all of them proud of me.

"Nate," Sam said, turning in his seat to look at us. "What do you think about those apartments?"

He pointed out the window. We saw some apartments sitting on the edge of the forest. They weren't in the best condition. The buildings were brown with white trim that had paint peeling off of them. I was briefly reminded of a Swiss chalet. I wondered if that was their goal. If so, they failed miserably.

"Maybe," Nate replied as he looked at the apartment complex in disdain. "I bet I could at least afford them. They look cheap."

"We can stop by and look at them on the way home if you want," my dad offered.

"That'd be great, thanks," Nate said. I looked over at the apartments and tried to picture living there. I was a little excited and scared. It would be my first time living away from home. But it would all be worth it to be with Nate.

A few minutes later, we reached Port Angeles. We headed straight for Peninsula College. After we found a spot to park, we made our way over to the Admissions building. We had signed up for a campus tour and arrived just in time.

"Hi, my name is Brandi, and I'll be taking you on a tour today," said a blond girl who was wearing a Peninsula College sweatshirt. "Follow me."

We began the tour, walking behind several other potential students and their parents. I was amused by the reaction we were getting. People kept turning to stare at my dad, Sam, and Nate. It probably wasn't everyday that you saw guys their size walking around. I also noticed a few giving Emily's scars a long look, but if Sam caught them, he'd glower at them in a way that made them quickly look away. My mother and I also were getting our fair share of glances, though I put it down to our vampire blood. We always drew attention. It was part of the vampire's lure to attract victims.

To my ever growing displeasure, Nate was getting quite a few repeated looks from a few girls our age. They were staring at him in a way that made my blood boil. I wanted to growl at them to back the hell off. Just as I was about to, Nate leaned down and nuzzled my ear. He gave it a quick nip before he grabbed my hand, and brought it to his mouth so that he could kiss it. After pressing his lips to my skin, he let our hands drop to our sides, though he didn't let me go. My heart was left doing flips inside my chest.

"W-What was that for?" I asked.

"So that everyone here knows we're together," he said before a glare formed on his face and he added menacingly, "everyone."

I glanced over to see who he was talking about and saw a guy our age with flushed cheeks. I thought he might have been staring at me, but he was watching the ground now, his ears red. My own jealously abated slightly.

"I guess this is something we're going to have to get used to," I finally said.

"What?" Nate asked.

"People watching us. It's not as if either of us are exactly normal."

Nate snorted. "That's not why he was staring at you, but I get what you mean. We're not on the rez anymore."

"Exactly," I said.

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll be good."

_So will I_, I thought silently as one of the girls in the group glanced back at Nate again and batted obviously fake eyelashes at him.

As we continued on our tour, to my horror, my throat began to burn. It wasn't painful, but I knew I was going to need to feed soon. That upset me because I had fed a couple of days before. I shouldn't have needed blood so soon. It must have been from all the new scents in the air. I had gotten used to the smells of the people at my current school. This group was full of fresh blood.

I swallowed back venom as it pooled in my mouth. I held Nate's hand tightly in mine so that I wouldn't be tempted to latch onto one of the people in front of me. Of course, if that stupid twit tried to flirt with Nate one more time, I'd happily break her into pieces.

"Are you all right?" Nate whispered, feeling my tension.

"Fine," I mumbled. "Just suddenly thirsty."

I felt his grip on my hand tighten. "Do you want to leave?"

"No, I'll be okay," I insisted. Nate looked at me worriedly, but nodded his head.

We got to the computer lab, which immediately drew Nate's interest. This is what he wanted to come to school for. I laughed at the expression on his face as he watched someone type out binary code on the computer screen next to him. He looked like a kid opening up a birthday present. We continued on and made our way to the dormitories.

"What do you think, Meena?" my dad asked.

I blinked at him in confusion. "Uh, they're nice?"

"If you want, you can probably get a single dorm so you don't have to share one with a roommate."

"But Dad, I thought I was going to live with—" I broke off as I stared at Nate.

My father angled himself so that we were separated from the rest of the group.

"If you think I'm going to let my teenage daughter leave our house to live with her boyfriend, you're out of your damned mind."

I tried very hard not to roll my eyes. "Wait…how old was mom again when you got her pregnant?"

A vein stood out on my dad's forehead. Never a good sign.

"We're not talking about me and your mom. We're talking about you. If you want to go away to college, you two aren't living together."

"Mom!" I said angrily, looking at her for support. She just shrugged, an amused expression on her face.

"You did say that you wanted the college experience," she reminded me. "Living in a dorm is part of that."

"I'm going to have to agree with Jacob and Ness here," Sam spoke up. "You two have a very long life ahead of you. There's no need to rush straight from high school to living together. Take some time to enjoy the freedom of college."

"We'd enjoy it a lot more if we could be together," Nate grumbled, sounding as pouty as me.

"That's the deal, son," Sam said. "If you want our support on this, you have your own places."

"Fine," Nate muttered.

"Meena?" my dad asked.

I glared at him with all the fury I could muster. "Fine. Whatever."

"Good." My dad beamed and we rejoined the tour.

"This is so unfair," I whispered so that only Nate could hear.

"We'll figure it out," he said with a wink and I instantly felt reassured. He let out a little chuckle.

"What?" I questioned.

"You," Nate replied. "I've never seen you so…feisty before. I like it."

I grinned. "It's my age. Now that I'm older, I'm trying to establish myself as an adult."

He wiggled his eyebrows at me. "You wanna be adult, huh? I'll remind you of that later."

I gave him a little shove as my face flushed. Laughing, I said, "Perv."

"Around you? Always."

"Come on, you two," Emily called out and we hurriedly caught up with the rest of them.

After the tour was done, we were handed a catalog of all the classes the school offered and a pamphlet that had a list of their scheduled times. It was late afternoon by the time we left the campus so we decided to get something to eat at a restaurant in Port Angeles.

"This is where my parents had their first date," my mom told the Uleys.

I found myself smiling despite the pain in my throat. From what I knew of my grandparents "date," my grandfather had been spying on my Grandma Bella. She had gotten harassed by some local boys and my Grandpa Edward had almost killed them. It had taken them going to this restaurant for him to calm down enough where he didn't commit homicide.

"What can I get you?" the waitress asked after we were seated.

"Steak," I said before anyone else had a chance to speak. "The rarer the better."

"Oh-kay," she said, drawing out the word. The rest of the group placed their orders and she left.

"You okay, Meena?" my mother questioned in a concerned tone.

"Just thirsty," I answered quietly.

"So soon?"

"It's fine," I said.

"No, it's not," she replied with a frown. "How long have you been feeling this way?"

"Since the tour," I admitted.

"Meena," my dad spoke up. "Are you sure you're up for college?"

"I'll be fine," I insisted, before getting inspired. "Though it might be a good idea if I didn't live in the dorms."

My dad's eyes narrowed. "Fine. We'll find you an apartment on the opposite side of town."

In other words, far away from Nate. Accepting defeat, I sighed. "Never mind. The dorms will be livable."

The food was brought out to us after a short time, and I examined my steak. I felt relief when I pressed my fork to it and some blood pooled to the surface. I cut a piece and put it in my mouth. Venom instantly began to surround it. I placed the piece of meat between my teeth and sucked on it until the blood was gone. I swallowed the rest of the now bone-dry steak, trying not to grimace at the taste. Thankfully, the burning in my throat had lessened.

"Better?" Nate asked.

"Yes," I responded thankfully.

After we finished dinner, we made our way to the apartments that Sam had noticed earlier. He, my dad, and Nate went into the woods for about ten minutes before they returned to us, a look of satisfaction on each of their faces.

"I think this location will work," Nate said, grabbing my hand. "The forest gets pretty thick about thirty feet away and it looks like people don't usually frequent the area often. It's a good, private place for me to phase and for the pack to come to me if they need to."

"Let's see what the inside looks like before you get too excited," Emily reminded him.

We found the office. A balding man with thick glasses greeted us. "What can I do for you?"

"We were wondering if we could possibly see one of your apartments," Sam said.

"For all of ya?" the man questioned.

"Just my son," Sam replied, touching Nate's shoulder.

The man raised his chin so that he was looking at Nate from the bottom edge of his glasses. "College kid?"

"Yes sir," Nate replied politely.

"Will you be wanting a studio or a one bedroom?"

"What's the difference in price?" Emily asked.

"About a hundred dollars," the man answered.

"The studio is fine," Nate told him.

"Well, let me see if we have one available to show you," the man said, getting up from his desk. He went over to a metal cabinet and opened it up, peering inside. "Yep, I have one."

He grabbed the key and opened a different door than the one we had come in. It led us into a long hallway. We walked until we were at the very end. The man unlocked the door and opened it up.

If we thought the outside of the building was antiquated, nothing compared to the inside. I wondered if we'd stepped into a time warp that had flung us back to 1970. To the left of the entrance was the kitchen. It had faded linoleum tiles on the floor, dull brown cupboards and yellow appliances. Next to the kitchen was an outdated chandelier, which I could only assume meant that that space was designated for the dining area. There wasn't much to see past that except the orange shag carpet and yellow mustard walls, which made up the living room/bedroom area. There was a wide closest and a tiny bathroom next to it. I guessed it was a good thing that Nate and I weren't going to be living together. There was barely enough room in the bathroom for one person let alone two.

"Where do I sign?" Nate said eagerly. We all looked at him in surprise. Even Sam was shaking his head.

"Nate—" he started to say.

"It's perfect."

"You got a job to pay rent?" the office manager asked.

"Uh…" Nate replied. He still worked at the _Clearwater's Supply Store_, but I knew he wanted to quit once we started going to college.

"Our reservation will be paying for his board," Sam told the man.

"Are you serious?" Nate questioned in shock.

"As long as you maintain your grades, they'll cover it. Same for Devlin Wakeh and Jason Pachena if they want to go to school."

"Oh," Nate replied, finally understanding. The tribe apparently paid their wolves for their service to the rez. It was nice to know that they were appreciated, even if only the Elders and a select few knew of their existence.

"Well then," the office manager said. "That's all right then. When will you want to move in?"

"I don't need a place until August."

"Well, let's go back to the office and see if I have anything open that month."

Once Nate had everything arranged and an apartment set up for him, we headed back on the road.

"Are you sure about that place?" Emily asked. "It's a dive."

"Hey, that's my future home you're talking about," Nate replied lightheartedly. "What should I name it? The bachelor pad?"

I cleared my throat and gave him pointed look. "How about the hovel?"

"'The hovel' it is," he said, smiling widely at me. "It'll be kind of cool, won't it? To be out on our own?"

"Yes…yes, it will," I told him excitedly back.

"We'll have to get you some furniture," Emily told her son.

"If you don't mind secondhand stuff, we have plenty at our house you can have," my mom stated. "Grandma was always redecorating that place. We have an entire attic full of furniture Nate can have."

"That's very generous of you," Emily said.

"We're all pretty much family anyway, right?" my mother replied.

"Are you sure Esme won't mind though?" Emily questioned. "Even the furniture she hasn't used in awhile is probably very nice still and that place is—"

"Disgusting," Sam answered. "If the termites don't destroy the furniture, I'm sure the rats will finish it off."

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Nate replied.

"Sure son…sure."

"She won't mind," my mom insisted. "My family is very fond of Nate."

Nate winked at me flirtatiously, causing me to giggle. His excitement was contagious. When we finally got back to our house in Forks, Nate decided to stay behind so that he could look at the furniture. We waved Emily and Sam off and headed up to the attic part of the house. As promised, it was full of furniture that looked practically brand new.

"Great-Grandmother usually donates most of this stuff," I explained. "I'm not sure why we still have all of this. I think it might have been in my Grandfather Edward's old room before he married my grandmother."

There was a beautiful king-sized bed made of wrought iron and a leather couch. Nate ran his finger over the couch, wrinkling his nose slightly as he sat down on it.

"You don't like it?" I asked.

"It's not that," he said as he got back up and headed towards the bed. "It smells like him still. It burns."

"I'm sure we can air it out," I offered.

Nate laughed. "It _is_ really nice furniture. Very fancy for where I'm going to be living."

"Well," I said, going over to the bed and laying on it. "I like this bed."

I threw my hands over my head and stretched as I got comfortable. Nate was by my side in a heartbeat.

"Hey Meena," he whispered so quietly I doubted my parents could hear.

"Hmm?" I replied as I reached up to touch his cheek.

"Today was a really good day."

"Yeah, it was," I responded, my voice going soft as he moved his head and kissed the palm of my hand.

"Do you think it would be all right if I kissed you?" Nate asked as he remembered my dad's rule that we weren't allowed to let things go too far under his roof.

"I think kissing is definitely allowed," I replied, reaching up to clasp a hand around his neck. I did it with enough force that he fell against me, his legs settling between my thighs.

Nate pulled back slightly and smiled tenderly at me. "I've been wanting to do this all day."

"Me too," I whispered, before rolling us both so that I was hovering over him. Nate grinned approvingly, his hands moving so that they shaped my bottom. He squeezed gently, bringing me against his hardening lower half.

I kissed one corner of his mouth, then the other before moving to his lips. I brushed my mouth against his lightly before parting his lips with mine. Our tongues met, tasting and teasing each other. I grabbed his bottom lip with my teeth, pulling on the skin slightly. He jerked in response.

It happened in a millisecond.

I felt my sharp teeth break his flesh, penetrating his skin. I could taste his blood in my mouth like the sweetest candy. Before I could stop it—before I could even let go—venom flooded my mouth.

I knew when it entered his bloodstream by the gasping noise Nate made. I immediately pulled away from him in shock. Jumping off the bed on shaking legs, I watched in horror as the color of Nate's skin turned ashen. The only thing that stood out on his face were the blue veins which were now pulsing furiously. The venom pushed its way unrelentingly through his system, like a dam busting open. Nate's veins went from blue to black as the poison continued on its path.

When it reached his panicked eyes, the irises turned from their normal warm brown to deathly black. The blood vessels burst in them, making the whites of his eyes look blood red. He began to choke as he tried to breathe. He reached out a feeble hand to me, but before I could reach him, he collapsed against the mattress as his body began to seize.

Though it seemed like I was watching everything in slow motion, it happened in seconds. I didn't even have time to call out for help.

Then it was over.

And the only noise left in the room was the sound of my terrified scream as Nate lay lifeless in front of me.


	21. Meena's Mistake

_Can heaven be so envious?_

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo and Juliet_

**Chapter 21 – Meena's Mistake**

_March 26, 2026 – March 27, 2026_

Meena's POV

_Though it seemed like I was watching everything in slow motion, it happened in seconds. I didn't even have time to call out for help._

_Then it was over. _

_And the only noise left in the room was the sound of my terrified scream as Nate lay lifeless in front of me_.

"Nate," I cried, running to him to shake his still warm chest. To my relief, I could feel the faint beat of his heart. The door to the attic burst open and my parents came flying in the room.

"What happened?" my mom asked as she rushed to Nate, my dad right behind her.

"W-We were kissing and he jerked and I-I bit his l-lip," I said in between sobs.

"I'll call Embry," my dad stated, before rushing back out of the room. My mom bent over Nate and sniffed his face and neck, before moving to his chest.

"The venom hasn't reached his heart yet," she said, looking at me worriedly. "You need to suck it out."

I shook my head instantly. I could still taste his blood in my mouth, the venom on my lips. I couldn't help Nate right now even if I wanted to.

"I—" I didn't even finish speaking before my mom reached for Nate's mouth which had swollen to the size of an egg. She turned his lip over, and I almost threw up at what I saw. The area around the puncture wound was pitch black and rotten looking.

Without hesitating, my mom took Nate's lip in her mouth and began to suck the venom back. I clutched the edge of the mattress as I waited for a sign—any sign—that would show me that I hadn't killed him.

My dad entered the room and paused. From an outsider's perspective, it would have looked strange—as though my mother were kissing my boyfriend. But my dad came toward the bed, grim understanding on his face.

I could see the black venom retracting in Nate's system, as though it were a tape being played on rewind. His veins slowly returned to their normal bluish color though they still stood out against his ghostly white face.

My mom let go of Nate and turned to the side of the bed. She spit his blood out on the floor, grimacing as she reached up to wipe her mouth.

"Embry's on his way," my dad said as he picked up Nate's wrist and felt the heartbeat.

"Is he going to be okay?" I whispered. My parents exchanged looks and I felt my panic spike.

"We won't know until Embry gets here," my mom answered gently.

"Let's get him out of the attic," my dad said. As carefully as if he were picking up a newborn baby, he put one arm around Nate's shoulder and the other underneath his legs and picked him up. We made our way to my room where my dad placed him gently on my bed.

My parents left us alone and stepped into the hallway outside my door. I wanted to lie down next to Nate on the mattress…I wanted to shake his body until he opened his eyes and gave me one of his ridiculously handsome grins. But all I could do was stand there and stare at him, memorizing every detail on his face. I could hear my parents talking quietly. They had moved downstairs, probably assuming I was in too much shock to hear their conversation.

"Jake," my mom said. "We're going to have to call Sam and Emily and let them know what happened."

My father sighed heavily. "What do I tell them, Ness? How do I tell Sam that another one of my kids might have potentially killed another one of his?"

I curled up my trembling hand and brought it to my mouth, biting down hard on the fist to prevent myself from crying out. Blood seeped from the wound, hitting my clothes and splashing on the carpet beneath my feet, forming a pattern that reminded my dazed mind of an abstract painting.

"It was an accident," my mother implored to my dad.

"I hope Sam will believe that," my father responded. I heard him step outdoors to make his phone call. My mom came back in my room.

"Any change?" she asked.

I shook my head. After a minute of tense silence, I said, "Mom, I-I'm so sorry."

She instantly wrapped her arms around me, hugging me close. "Oh Meena, you didn't hurt him on purpose."

"But I was too d-dangerous to be with a wolf," I sobbed. "I-I told Nate that a hundred times."

"And he didn't care," my mom returned. "He wanted to take the risk because he loves you."

"And this is the result," I said, waving my hand at Nate's still form. "If…If he dies, I w-won't be able to liv—"

"Don't talk like that," my mom ordered. "We both know how strong Nate is. We have to have faith."

The door to my room opened and Embry hurried in, carrying his medical bag.

"Embry," my mom muttered gratefully. "You got here quick."

"I was on my way to the hospital in Forks when Jake called," Embry explained, pulling out his stethoscope. He listened to Nate's heart, a frown of concentration on his face. I held my breath as I waited for the diagnosis.

"His heartbeat is pretty weak, but it's steady," he finally said. He pulled out a small flashlight from his bag and opened up one of Nate's lids. A cry escaped me as I saw that the redness was still there, completely hiding the white of his eye making him look inhuman.

"Renesmee," Embry said as he continued with his examination. "Take Meena out of here. She's in shock. Why don't you give her some tea if you have it? Rosemary would work best."

My mom grabbed my hand. "Come on baby."

I stood stubbornly still. "I d-don't want to l-leave him," I said through teeth that had begun to chatter.

"Meena, I can't concentrate on helping Nate if I'm worrying about you too," Embry said, giving me a stern look.

I had the feeling he was lying. Embry was an emergency room doctor used to chaotic situations. But as I didn't want to distract him in any way, I gave in. With one last glance at Nate, I allowed my mom to drag me from the room. My dad was pacing around downstairs. As soon as he saw me, he hugged me while my mom went into the kitchen to make some tea.

"You okay?" he asked.

"No," I whispered against his chest as my body shook.

A short time later, I was sitting on the couch with my parents on either side of me, sipping my tea. Tires screeched outside our house and seconds later the Uleys entered. Emily's eyes were puffy from crying, her expression devastated. Sam…I couldn't even look at him; his expression was too tormented. Not even an hour ago, they were co-signing on a lease for their son. And now this.

I was barely able to breathe under the weight of my sorrow, though I knew my pain was nothing compared to theirs. I had done this to them. If it weren't for me, Nate would be at home right now, planning his bright future.

"Where…" Sam started to say, but his voice became choked. He had to swallow before continuing. "Where is he?"

"We moved him to Meena's bedroom," my father explained, standing up and moving protectively in front of me. Emily immediately went up the stairs. Sam was slower in his movement, as though he couldn't quite bring himself to join his wife. My dad took a step toward him. "Sam, I'm so sorr—"

"Don't," Sam interrupted, lifting a shaking hand to stop my dad from speaking. "Just…don't."

My father nodded, his face remorseful. Sam's eyes skimmed over me briefly before he turned to follow his wife. Looking like a man about to pass through the gates of hell, he made his way slowly up the stairs. I could hear Emily crying upstairs.

I gripped my cup a little too tight and it exploded, spilling scolding tea on my lap. My mom jumped up and ran to the kitchen as my dad hurried to my side asking if I'd hurt myself. I couldn't answer him. I felt too numb to even open my mouth. I heard water being turned on in the other room, but I just sat there limply, welcoming the physical pain I felt. My mother was back in seconds, pushing a cold wet rag against my knees.

"Jake," Embry called out. "Can you come here?"

My dad gave my shoulder a brief squeeze before he ran up the stairs. I used my extra sensory hearing to eavesdrop.

"How is he?" my dad asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I want to get him to the hospital and do a full body scan. I need to see how much damage the venom did to his internal organs. And his breathing is really shallow so I want to get him hooked up on a breathing tube. Can you drive us there? Sam and Emily are too upset, and I don't want to call an ambulance. Paramedics wouldn't know how to treat a wolf, and they'd ask too many questions."

"Sure," my father replied. He came down the stairs and cupped the side of my cheek briefly. "I'm going with Embry. As soon as I hear anything, I'll call you."

I nodded and he kissed my forehead before hurrying out to the car. I stood up as Embry and Sam came down the stairs, walking on either side of Nate as they carefully carried him. Emily rushed ahead of them and opened the front door. I tried to speak—to tell Nate I loved him or to beg for the Uleys' forgiveness—but by the time I could move, they were gone.

For the next two hours I paced around my house like a caged animal. My mom offered to drive me to the hospital more than once, but I refused. I wanted to be there for Nate more than anything. I felt like I would go out of my mind not knowing what was going on. But I also remembered what happened after Gabe attacked Gracie. I didn't want the families fighting again. And I didn't want my presence to upset Sam and Emily.

I also couldn't help but think that I had lost my right to be concerned over Nate. It was my fault he was hurt in the first place. When the phone finally rang, I fumbled with it, barely able to pick it up.

"Meena," my dad said as soon as he heard me. "I've got some news. Embry took a scan of Nate's internal organs. It's…it's the damndest thing. He could see the path that the venom took, because every area it affected looked singed. But the venom stopped right outside his heart and vital organs. Embry doesn't understand why. Considering the amount of damage it did, it should have gone straight into his heart and eaten away at it by the time your mom got the venom out."

"Will he…" I had to swallow before I could go on. "Will he recover?"

"Yeah, he will," my father assured me. "We just got the results back from a second scan and Nate's body is already showing signs that it's healing. He's going to be fine though he's currently unconscious, but Embry's not worried. Bodies will sometimes do that if they experience trauma. It's all part of the healing process."

My knees weakened and I fell to the floor. "That's…that's good news," I said shakily. "Thanks for letting me know, Dad."

"Sure," my father replied. "Hey listen, I called Ryan. He's going to stop by the house in a little bit to pick up Sam's car and then he's coming to the hospital. Why don't you get a ride with him?"

"I…I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want to upset Emily or Sam," I said, though my heart ached to see Nate again.

"Meena," my father replied, hearing the hesitation in my voice. "Are you going to let this effect you? I know how you get. You're always worried about hurting Nate—"

"For good reason!" I cried.

My father didn't say anything for so long that I thought he might have hung up. Finally, he said softly, "Okay. I'll be home in a little while."

I hung up the phone and went over to the couch, lying down on it weakly. My mom lifted me up slightly so that she could sit next to me, maneuvering my head so it rested on her lap. She began to run her hand soothingly over my hair. A few minutes later, I heard the pounding feet of a wolf approaching the house. I sat up and peered out the back window. Ryan Spencer came out of the woods and walked toward the patio. My mom got up and let him in.

"Ryan, hey," she said uncomfortably.

Ever since the Gracie/Gabe incident, neither my parents nor Ryan had had a lot to say to each other. My parents weren't mad at Ryan because he was the biggest reason why their son couldn't come back to the area. And Ryan didn't seem to hold it against my family that we were related to the guy who almost destroyed his imprint's life. But whenever we had to be around each other, the atmosphere was strained.

So it meant a lot when he went over to my mom and gave her a brief hug before he came over to me. Resting a hand on my shoulder, he asked, "Are you all right?"

"Don't worry about me. Just worry about Nate," I whispered.

"Jake said he was going to be okay." Ryan reminded me. When I didn't say anything, Ryan examined my face closely. "Hey…don't forget, Nate was made for you. I was there when he phased for the first time. Even then, he was the most powerful wolf any of us had ever come across. He was created to withstand a lot. He'll recover, Meena. And when he does, he's going to want to know you weren't upset by this."

I nodded, but didn't say anything. He gave my mom a worried glance before he walked out the front door. Seconds later, I heard the Uleys' car rev up and then he was gone.

"I hope you heard what Ryan said," my mom remarked, coming over to me and wrapping her arm around my waist.

"I heard him," I answered. "But Mom…I didn't hurt Nate _this _time. What about the next? Maybe we won't be so lucky. I can't…I can't risk his life anymore."

"Oh Meena," my mom said. "I heard what your father said to you on the phone. The venom didn't touch his heart. He's already on the road to recovery. What happened today should have killed Nate, but it didn't."

My mom moved so that she was standing in front of me. Looking into my eyes, she cupped my cheeks and I felt her thoughts in my head. _Hear what Ryan said. Nate was made for you. He was created to imprint on someone who was venomous. What would have killed other wolves didn't kill him because you're his mate. Remember that, Meena. Trust in the imprint._

I began to tear up and backed away from my mom just as I heard my father's car pull into the driveway. He came in, took one look at me, and announced, "Pack your bags. We're leaving."

"What?" my mom and I said at the same time.

"I've had enough of this," my father replied. "I won't stand by and see my children hurting anymore. We're moving and we're not coming back."

"Jacob, what are you talking about?" my mother asked as she hurried over to my dad. "We can't leave! Especially not now!"

"Ness, remember we talked about leaving after Gabe hurt Gracie Uley."

"Yes, but that was completely different circumstances," my mom argued.

"Not really," my dad replied before glancing at me. "Hurry up, Meena. I want to be on the road as soon as possible."

"Did something bad happen at the hospital?" my mother asked hesitantly. "Have…have there been any kind of threats?"

"Not at all," my father answered. "Things haven't exactly been ideal since we've moved back here, Ness. I think our entire family needs a fresh start somewhere else."

I stood there in shock. Granted I was just thinking that it would be for the best to let Nate go, but now that the option was being made for me, I didn't know what to think.

"Jacob!" my mom exclaimed. She reached up and touched his cheek. My mind was so confused, I couldn't even begin to decipher what she might have said to him.

He grabbed her hand and kissed the palm, before saying "Renesmee, trust me."

My dad gave my mom a look I didn't understand. Shrugging slightly, she turned to me and said, "Okay. Do as your father said."

On autopilot, my feet moved of their own volition. I had my bag packed and we were in the car driving for about an hour, before I snapped out of my self-induced mini-coma.

"Wait!" I said. "Where are we going?"

"To Vancouver to stay with your mom's family," my dad replied. "I've already called them. After that, we'll figure out where we're going to live."

"But…I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to Nate," I whispered.

"It's best to have a clean break," my dad said. Something in his argument didn't make sense. I couldn't believe my dad was being so caviler about the end of an imprint relationship.

And that's when it hit me. Nate and I were through. Tears began to seep past my eyelids, and before I knew it, I was crying so hard that my entire body shook. My dad stopped the car so that my mom could get in the back seat with me. She held me as I continued to cry, making shhing noises as she held me. I finally fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. When I came to, the car had come to a halt, and I could hear my parents talking.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," my mom said lowly.

"Me too," my father answered solemnly. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that I was awake. "Meena, we're here."

The door opened and I was pulled out of the car, instantly wrapped in my Grandma Bella's embrace. My Grandfather Edward came out to help my dad with the bags.

"We were surprised to get your call," he said, inspecting my father through narrowed eyes.

"We needed to leave Forks behind us," my dad declared almost overdramatically. My grandfather continued to stare at him.

He finally gave a little half smile and shook his head, muttering something that sounded like an exasperated "wolves."

"So…" Uncle Emmett said from the couch as we walked in the house. "We heard Nate was 'mostly dead' all day, huh?"

He emphasized "mostly dead" with air quotes. I stared blankly back at him. He raised an eyebrow in disappointment. "Mostly dead…get it? Princess Bride? Hello?"

"Uncle Emmett," my mom said in annoyance. "Now's really not the time."

We made our way upstairs and I went into my room. Depression and tiredness overwhelmed me. I felt like my soul had been ripped in half. The part that resided inside me was dead. The other part was lying in a hospital bed somewhere in Forks. The pain from being away from Nate was so much worse than the time we were separated right after he imprinted. I lay down on my bed, not even bothering to change my blood splattered clothes, and fell into a deep slumber.

I didn't know how long I slept before there was a knock on my bedroom door, jarring me awake. Jerking into a sitting position, I cleared my voice and called out, "Come in."

I sucked in a shocked breath as Gabe entered the room, looking nervous and unsure. I hadn't laid eyes on my twin since the disaster on New Year's. Even though we talked a few times on the phone since then, I hadn't realized how much I missed and needed my brother until he was standing in front of me.

"Meena, I—" He started to say, but I jumped off the bed and ran to him, hugging him so tight I cut off his sentence.

"Oh Gabe," I cried wobbly. He cradled me to him, running his hand in soothing circles on my back and murmuring soft comforting words.

"Meena, Dad talked to Uncle Embry before I came up here," he finally said when I calmed down enough. "Nate's doing so well that they've already taken him off oxygen. He hasn't woken up yet, but I'm sure he'll want to see you when he does."

"Are you showing sympathy for your enemy?" I asked in surprise.

"More like worry for my lil' sis," he replied, giving me a gentle smile. His expression turned into a frown as he looked at the area surrounding me. "I don't like your aura. It's very black. As much as Nate bugs the ever living shit out of me, you need your imprint."

"I can't, Gabe. I can't see him again." And to my shame, another sob broke out and I lost it again, crying so hard my head hurt.

Gabe grabbed my hand and led me to the edge of my bed. We sat down and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"Whatever you decide, I'm here for you."

That only made me feel worse. I covered my face in my hands. "I don't deserve it. I was terrible to you."

"Well, I almost killed Gracie," Gabe replied dryly. "I can see why you'd be upset about that."

"Stop being so nice to me," I demanded as I looked at him. "I don't deserve it."

Gabe shook his head. "You deserve so much more, Meens."

"Why aren't you mad at me? I treated you like shit."

My brother's lips quirked in amusement at my unaccustomed swear word. He shrugged though as he said, "You're my sister. We've been through a lot together. I'm sure we'll continue to go through more in the future. But we'll always end up like this. Together, just as we've been since before we were born."

He grabbed my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. I gave him a watery smile in return.

"I think Tanya's had a good influence on you," I said.

He grinned widely back. "Yeah, she has."

"Did she come with you?"

"She's outside with Great-Grandma Esme."

I wiped the moisture away from my cheeks with my hand. "And you're happy?"

"There are no words," Gabe replied contentedly. "I love her. I've loved her for years. Things are the way they're supposed to be."

"I'm glad it worked out for one of us."

Gabe let out a slight laugh. "I have the feeling that, contrary to what you've said, things aren't over for you and Nate. Not by a long shot."

He got up from the bed and kissed me on top of my head. "Now come and get something to eat before you make yourself even sicker than you already have."

That made me think of something. I reluctantly got to my feet and made my way downstairs. My Aunt Alice greeted me as Gabe walked by and headed into the kitchen.

"I didn't get the memo that blood splattered jeans were in," she said, looking down at my clothes in disgust. She reached up and gently wiped the remaining tears from my face. "While you're here, we'll have to get some shopping done."

I internally groaned, but I said, "Have you seen Great-Grandfather?"

"He's in his study."

I nodded and went to speak with my Grandfather Carlisle. I knocked on the door before letting myself in.

"Meena!" he said, coming over and giving me a hug. "You've been asleep for ten hours. We were beginning to get worried."

I glanced out the window and saw that it was indeed day out. I hadn't even realized.

"I have a question for you," I said.

"Sure," he replied, waving for me to sit in the chair opposite his desk.

"When we went on the t-tour yesterday, I got really thirsty, even though I fed just two days before. Why do you think that was?"

He frowned as he folded his fingers together before placing them against his mouth. "Hmm. It could have been a couple of different factors. One, you were surrounded by new humans. Perhaps you just needed to adjust to their scents. Or maybe…"

"What?" I asked anxiously.

"Perhaps one of them was your singer—someone who is hard for you to resist. Bella was Edward's before she was changed. Her scent used to drive him to the point of insanity. If he wasn't so fascinated by her, he probably would have eventually given in and killed her."

I shuddered at the thought of my grandfather killing my grandma. But I said, "I don't think that was it. There wasn't a particular scent that stood out."

"Well," Great-Grandfather said, lost in thought. "It could be physical."

"What do you mean?" I questioned in confusion.

"Perhaps you're on the brink of another phase in your life. Your vampire gene has always been prominent, even more so than Renesmee's is in her. Maybe—and this is just a theory—but maybe you're on the brink of becoming immortal. Your vampire genes could be strengthening and becoming dominant now."

"So in other words, the human side is fading and I'm becoming more of a vampire?"

"Possibly, but it's just a theory. It didn't happen with your mom. Then again, your molecular structure is different than hers."

"Will I be a danger to humans?" I asked, trying to remain calm even as I pictured myself going off on a killing spree.

My great-grandfather's face changed from thoughtful to horrified. "Honey, don't read too much into what I've said. I could be wrong. You and your brother are the only ones of your kind. All I can give you are theories, not scientific proof. Even if what I said is true, all it means is that you'll want to hunt a little more until you reach the final stage of immortality. Nothing else will change. And no matter what, you're still a quarter human and half wolf."

I stood up and muttered a quick thanks before I bolted from the room. I ran back to my bedroom and flung myself across my bed, squeezing my eyes shut to block out the thoughts that were now taunting me.

What would happen if what my great-grandfather said was true? Would wolves smell terrible to me as vampires reeked to them? Would my eyes go golden like my family members, or red if I lost control and killed a human? Would I become a monster? Worse…would Nate still want me?

There was a knock on my door and my Grandma Bella stuck her head in. "Can I come in?"

I didn't get up from the bed, merely nodded. She came over and lay behind me, wrapping her arm around my waist. I breathed in her familiar scent, relaxing slightly in her protective embrace.

"Meena, I love you with all my heart," she said softly. "But sometimes you are way too much like your grandfather."

I heard my Grandpa Edward cough somewhere below and my dad snicker. I ignored them both and said, "What do you mean?"

"He used to worry all the time too. He was constantly afraid when I was human that I'd hurt myself because I used to be a klutz. And that wasn't all. He was afraid of letting me hang out with the wolf pack. He was afraid of physically hurting me himself. He used to drive us both crazy with all his worrying. If he were human, he would have died from having too many ulcers."

"True dat," Emmett murmured somewhere in the distance followed by Aunt Rosaile saying, "Shh."

"It's so hard to have a private conversation in this house." My grandma sighed. "Edward, please."

A few seconds later I heard feet shuffling and then the house was quiet. My grandmother continued, "The point I'm trying to make is that you can't be afraid all the time. You'll ruin your entire existence being constantly worried. Life will happen whether you want it to or not, and you can either deal with it kicking or screaming, or you can accept it."

"I just can't, Grandma," I whispered. "I can't risk hurting him again."

"So that's it? You've left him," she said.

I nodded, my throat filled with too much pain to respond. She got off the bed and went over to the window, looking out of it with a frown on her forever youthful face.

"You know," she remarked. "When Jacob imprinted on your mom, I was furious. I didn't want to share my baby with him, you see?"

She gave a little half laugh as she said, "I even attacked him when I found out. Your mother, who was only a few days old at the time, had been so upset because she thought I might have hurt him. She didn't want anything to happen to her Jacob. Even at such a young age, the bond between them was unbreakable."

My grandmother turned so that she was facing me. "After awhile, I was glad that he imprinted. Renesmee was always so serious. She was born old, but Jacob was the one who made things fun and lighthearted for her. He gave her a life. I remember during her first Christmas, he made her sit in front of the TV and watch _Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer_ because he was determined that she have a childhood. He was there for her when she went through the pains of puberty. He was the one she went to when she developed a crush on Brady. And he held her after Brady rejected her and she experienced her first heartache. Life is never easy, especially for an imprinted pair. Your parents definitely have had their ups and downs. But they've made each other so happy. That's what love is. You may go through some bad times, but the good makes everything so worth it."

"Grandma, I can't—" I tried to say, but I broke out into another sob. She came over and hugged me to her.

"Oh Meena," she said, running her cool hand through my hair. "You're so much like your mother as well. So serious…taking things too close to heart. And Nathaniel is a lot like his father. Stubborn and overly responsible. To be honest, I was worried when he imprinted on you."

"Why?" I wondered with a sniff, feeling defensive of Nate.

My grandma laughed. "I wanted you to find someone like Jacob. Jake was my rock when I needed him, just like he became your mom's. He certainly keeps us entertained even now. But you know what I realized when you and Nate were here on your last trip? You _did_ find the right person. All my fears disappeared, because you were the happiest I'd ever seen you. Honey, you have a long life ahead of you. Do you want to spend it without Nate?"

I grimaced but didn't say anything, which earned another quiet laugh from my grandmother.

"Did you know that when I was human, your grandfather did the same thing to me that you're doing to Nate? He left me to protect me. Did you ever hear that story?"

"Sort of," I replied.

"It's one of the few times I remember clearly from my human days," she said with a frown. "It had been my birthday. I'd been opening a present and cut my finger on the paper. Your Uncle Jasper lost control and almost attacked me. It scared your grandfather and he decided it was best that he leave me."

"But you worked things out."

"Eventually," Grandma replied. "But it wasn't without consequence. I grew close to your father during the time Edward was gone. If your grandfather hadn't come back into my life when he did…well, who knows what would have happened."

I felt my face wrinkle in disgust. I knew what would have happened. I knew that my dad had had a crush on my grandmother when he was a teen…which was so gross. I couldn't imagine my dad with anyone but my mom. They were crazy for each other. That my dad had any interest before her—and that it was my grandma no less—was all kinds of disturbing.

My grandma grinned as if she could read my mind. She leaned over and patted my cheek. "Meena, you need to think this through. You left Nate while your emotions were extremely mixed up. Do you really want this? Do you want him to give up on you and move onto someone else? Because imprint or no imprint, if you keep pushing Nate away, he might eventually believe it when you act like you don't want him. Eternity is a long time to go without your soul mate by your side. Think about it."

She leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek before leaving me to my thoughts. I went over to the window and pressed my forehead against the cool glass. I wanted to think about what my grandmother had said, but all I could think about was the idea of Nate moving on with someone else. The idea of him kissing and loving anyone but me was like having acid poured on my skin.

"What should I do, Nate?" I whispered, my heart and soul aching for his reassuring presence.

But of course, there was no answer.

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**If you follow me on Twitter, I'll try to post a sneak peek of the next chapter on Friday. Don't forget to please review!**


	22. Cold To Hot

**Author's Note**

Thank you for your reviews on my previous chapter! I really appreciated it. And sorry for the delay on this chapter.

If you follow me on twitter or recently checked out my profile page, you know that I deleted my forum on this site and moved everything to a new blog. This blog has everything you'd want to know about my fan fics…background information, random facts, pictures of the characters, etc. I'm also going to put sneak peeks on there. I recently posted a sneak peek for my upcoming Seth story. If you want to check the blog out, the link is on my profile page.

Also, if you don't have me on author alert, I posted a one shot called "The Deal We Made" a few weeks ago for the "Passionate About Paul" contest. It's an AU story about Paul and Leah that takes place after Sam dumped her, but before Paul imprints on Rachel. I hope you'll get a chance to read it. And if you get a moment, check out some of the other stories in the contest. I've read a few and they're really good. If you read "The Deal We Made," the link to the contest is on top of the page.

**Story Recap**

Meena almost killed Nate when she accidentally bit him. Though he didn't die, Jacob decided it was best to move his family away from Nate's possibly angry pack. The Blacks headed to Vancouver where the Cullens are currently living. While there, Meena was reunited with Gabe. He told her that Tanya accompanied him on the trip and that Meena didn't have to worry about him because he was happy. Meanwhile, Carlisle told Meena that she was probably very close to becoming immortal and her vampire genes might be becoming more prominent. When Meena heard the news, she worried that Nate wouldn't want her any longer. Finally, Bella told Meena to stop running away from her problems because if she kept it up, she might push Nate into the arms of another woman.

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_To be, or not to be; that is the question._

_William Shakespeare_

_Hamlet_

**Chapter 22 – Cold to Hot**

_March 27, 2026 – April 5, 2026_

Nate's POV

Never in my entire life had I ever felt so exhausted. I didn't even have the strength to open my eyelids. I felt like someone had hit me with a wrecking ball, set me on fire, and then tied weights around my chest before throwing me into the ocean. I knew there were people around. I could hear them talking on occasion. The first voice I recognized though was my mom's.

"Will there be any lasting effects from the venom?" she asked.

"I don't know," a man said and I realized it was Embry. "We won't know anything until he wakes up. But the good news is that he's already rapidly healing. Let's just give it time."

I tried to focus my tired brain on what they'd said. I had gotten injected with venom? How? I couldn't remember a dammed thing. In the midst of my agitation, I lost consciousness. The next voices I was aware of were my pack mates.

"So are we going after her?" the eager voice of Jason Pachena asked.

Someone snorted before Paul's son Devlin said, "Nate would kill us if we so much as touched one hair on Meena's head."

"But she broke the treaty," Jason argued. I wanted to respond—to threaten their very lives for even thinking of hurting Meena—but I couldn't move. I couldn't make a sound.

"No, she didn't," Ryan replied. "From my understanding, things were getting a little kinky and she accidentally bit him. The big difference between what happened between Nate and Meena, and what happened between Gracie and Gabe…" his voice turned cold at the mention of Gabe…"was that Meena didn't feed off him. She let go of him as soon as she realized what happened."

"How does a person 'accidentally' bite someone?" Jason asked scathingly. More snickering broke out.

"Well kid," Seth spoke up. "When you're in the throes of passion…."

"Don't corrupt his innocence," Azra interrupted. After that I drifted off again.

I finally came fully awake when I heard, "Nate?"

I opened my heavy eyes and looked into the worried face of my sister. Her expression turned to instant relief.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. She seemed on the verge of tears. Who knew Gracie would get so upset over my almost demise?

"Like shit," I told her hoarsely.

"You had us so worried," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

I swallowed in an attempt to get some moisture in my dry throat. Gracie grabbed a cup next to my hospital bed and placed it near my mouth. I took a greedy sip out of its straw.

"How long have I been out?" I finally croaked.

"Three days."

I turned my head slightly and searched the hospital room.

"Where's Meena?" I whispered.

"Uh…" Gracie's face colored. She turned her head so that she was staring out the window in fascination. It spiked my unease.

"Gracie?" I said warningly.

The door to my room opened causing Gracie to jump. Ryan entered with a bright smile on his face. It faltered slightly when he saw his imprint.

"Hey," he said to her casually. "I didn't know you were up here."

Which was a complete and utter lie. We always know where our imprints are, and Ryan's face turned pained as he said it. There was a reason we were always honest with our imprints. It hurt like hell when we weren't truthful. But I had bigger problems to worry about than Ryan's discomfort. I couldn't feel Meena nearby and my agitation was increasing.

"I'll…I'll leave you two to get caught up," Gracie said, not looking at Ryan as she hurried towards the door.

"You don't have to leave," he said, reaching out to touch her on the arm. She jumped out of the way before he could make contact and his hand dropped uselessly to his side.

"It's fine," she said, still not meeting his gaze. "I need to get home. I've got homework to do, and then I promised to help out at the cultural center."

She exited the room without another word. Ryan stared after her with a forlorn expression on his face.

"What was that about?" I asked weakly.

Ryan shrugged, looking miserable. "Don't know. She's been like that ever since you got hurt. I'm a little worried to be honest. You know how she reacted after you first phased, and she shut us all out." He clutched at the back of his neck for a moment before muttering, "We've been doing so well lately. I just hope she's not regressing because of what happened to you."

"What _did_ happen to me?"

"You don't remember?"

I thought I'd heard the pack talking about it, but I couldn't remember their conversation. I tried to hold back my frustration. "I wouldn't be asking you if I did."

Ryan's eyebrows shot up at my tone, but he said, "You and Meena were kissing and she bit you. Her venom got into your system."

"Where is she?" I asked instantly. If I knew my imprint, she'd be freaking out right now. I tried to remain calm and focused…but I _really_ needed to see Meena and talk to her.

Ryan's face turned reluctant as he grabbed the chair next to my bed and sat down. "What do _you_ remember last?"

"I don't know. I guess I remember taking a tour of the school campus in Port Angeles."

"And after that?"

I frowned. "I don't know…"

The door to my room opened and Embry walked in wearing his doctor's coat and a stern expression. He gave Ryan a dirty look.

"You were supposed to let me know when he was awake."

Ryan's face turned angelic. "I was just about to."

"Yeah, yeah," Embry said as he flashed a light into my eyes causing me to momentarily see spots. He turned professional as he asked, "How are you, Nate? Are you experiencing any lightheadedness?"

"Goddamn it. Just tell me where my imprint is!" I snapped, surprising myself at my anger. I never got angry.

Embry paused, before he gave Ryan a look who got out of his chair and left the room. Embry continued examining me.

"Meena's fine," he said as he ran his fingers over my throat. "She's a little shaken, but otherwise she's all right."

"Then where is she?"

Embry pulled out his stethoscope and pressed it to my chest. "Take a deep breath."

"Embry! Tell me!"

Embry sighed as he moved away from me. "What do you remember?"

I repeated to him what I told Ryan. He frowned and grabbed his clipboard, making some notes.

Giving me a steady look, Embry finally said, "Jacob was worried for his daughter's safety. He moved the family up to Vancouver."

"You mean temporarily?"

"No, he moved them there permanently."

I tried to throw my bed sheets back to get out of bed, but Embry quickly restrained me and I was too weak to fight him off. The fucker!

"Don't make me sedate you, Nate," Embry threatened. "I've got about five horse tranquilizers standing by and I'm not afraid to use them."

Accepting defeat, I laid back on my bed and closed my eyes. In a voice barely above a whisper, I said, "I need to talk to her, Embry. She's got be freaking out."

"Of course she is. She's a Black," Embry replied with a chuckle in his voice. "And I'm allowed to say that because I'm married to one."

I opened my eyes to give him a deadly look. My love life was probably damaged beyond repair and he was making jokes?

Taking sympathy on me, he said, "Look, let me finish my exam, and then I'll let you call her if you're up for it."

I nodded and Embry continued. He asked me a hundred different questions about how I was feeling—if there were certain areas that hurt worse than others, if I could remember my name, my birthday. He finally announced with satisfaction that the venom didn't seem to have fried my brain, but he still wanted to run a full body scan on me just to be on the safe side.

"You were lucky," he said as he made another note on the clipboard. "If you'd been any other wolf, you would've died. The venom stopped before it hit your heart."

"Why is that do you think?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Well, we've always known from the moment you phased that you weren't like the rest of us. You're powerful, and I think that has a lot to do with your imprint. You were specifically designed to be with someone of Meena's nature. Now, I have no idea if you're only immune to her venom or every vampire, so don't go around experimenting and getting bit by any other vamps, okay?"

"Didn't plan on it," I said as I rested my head on my pillow and tried to fight off the exhaustion I was feeling.

"Let me call an orderly to take you down for your scan," Embry said just as my mom walked in. She instantly turned weepy as she saw me, the lines of strain on her face only emphasizing the scars there.

"Oh my little boy," she cried as she hugged me.

"Mom, please stop," I pleaded embarrassingly.

"How is he?" she asked Embry.

"I was just about to take him down for a body scan. He's having some memory loss over the actual accident. So far he's been able to answer all my questions, but I want to make sure there aren't any new signs of damage to his brain from the venom."

"Is that a possibility?" my mother wondered, her face pale.

Embry hesitated before saying, "So far the scans have come back negative, which is why I'm probably just being overly cautious at ordering this. He might not remember because his mind is trying to protect itself from the trauma. Perhaps he'll remember when he's a little more coherent."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," I roared suddenly and my mom looked at me in surprise.

"And then there's that," Embry said softly. He gave my mom a reassuring pat. "Let me go get the orderly."

As soon as he walked out of the room, I said, "Mom, do you have your phone on you?"

"Yes," she said cautiously.

"Please," I begged. "I've got to talk to Meena."

She hesitated and I whispered, "Please, Mom…_please._"

Sighing, she reached in her purse and handed me the phone. "I'll leave you to talk to her in privacy."

"Thank you," I replied. Shaking her head, she left the room and I quickly dialed Meena's number. She picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Meena," I said in relief, feeling the anger I was struggling with slowly dissipate at the sound of her voice.

"Nate," she said, her own voice sounding relieved. "Are you all right? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," I assured her. "Meena, don't let this get to you."

"Who said it was?" she asked distantly.

"Because if you weren't scared you'd be here. And I know you. You're probably feeling guilty and letting it consume you, but you don't need to."

She didn't say anything and I lost my temper again.

"What more proof do you need that we're supposed to be together? Embry said the venom stopped before it reached my heart. It should have killed me and it didn't," I told her desperately. I wished I could see her and hold her. My voice went husky as I added, "We've experimented physically and it never affected me negatively—it did quite the opposite actually. And now we know what will happen if you bite me again—"

I heard her laugh bitterly and I cursed silently at my mistake.

"Happens again?" she said in a tone that chilled me. "Nate…I can't let this happen again. We got lucky. We don't know for sure what will happen down the road."

I closed my eyes wearily. It was either that or beat my head against the wall. "No one knows what will happen down the road. The Volturi might show up and wipe out the entire wolf pack or your family. Emmett might decide to wear a tutu for the next decade."

I heard her release a breath that sounded like a giggle which quickly turned into a sob.

"Meena, please…"

"Nate, I..." My heart clenched as I heard the tears in her voice. "I've got to go. I hope you get better soon."

"This isn't over," I warned her. "Not by a long shot. It'll never be over between us, Meena."

She didn't answer. After a while I heard a click and then the connection went dead. I hit the end button on my cell and tossed it on the table next to my bed. I threw my trembling arm over my eyes and counted to ten as I felt my anger rise now that I was no longer talking to my imprint.

An orderly came in and took me down for my scan, offering me the distraction I needed. After I returned to my room where my mom was waiting for me, Embry came back with a pleased smile on his face.

He turned to my mom and said, "Things looked really good. I think I'm going to release Nate tomorrow provided you make sure he gets plenty of bed rest." He gave me a knowing look as he added, "So no trips up to Vancouver until you get your strength back fully."

"Fine, whatever," I replied, already making plans to reunite with my imprint.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do jack shit once I did get home. I could barely walk to the bathroom without exhausting myself. My mom had to bring me food on a tray. I grew increasingly frustrated as I tried unsuccessfully to get a hold of Meena over the next few days. Every time I tried calling her, her phone went to voicemail.

I had a steady stream of visitors while I was recovering, which helped keep my panic and worry over my imprint at bay. Embry made several house calls. I knew he was keeping Carlisle Cullen updated on my progress. Carlisle was Embry's mentor, and they were both curious about the lasting effects of Meena's venom on me.

And my pack came to see me everyday. Devlin was acting in my place as he was my beta. He continuously kept me updated on pack activity. He was also Meena's cousin, and like any addict looking for a fix I made him give me all the news on her that I could get. I knew she was still up in Vancouver hanging out with Gabe and the rest of her relatives. I also knew Jacob Black was being a stubborn asshole and wouldn't consider moving back, even though Seth had called him and promised the pack wouldn't retaliate.

Aside from Meena, the only other person that didn't come see me much while I was recovering was my dad. I knew he was hanging around in the house somewhere, but aside from stopping by my room a few times, I barely saw him. When I asked my mom about it, she told me he was really shaken up about my injury and she left it at that.

After a week of barely leaving my bed, I woke up one morning feeling almost fully recovered. I was able to take a shower without wanting to pass out, but I decided to stay in my room for the rest of the day so I could rest up some more. I was in the middle of daydreaming about Meena and how I'd get her back when there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called out.

"Hey," Gracie said as she came in and sat down on the edge of my bed. Her eyes were puffy from crying.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing," she muttered. "I just came in to see how you were doing."

"Just dandy," I retorted. "So how come you aren't out with Ryan right now?"

"No reason," she said, looking jumpy.

"Gracie, what the hell is wrong with you?" I finally snapped. "Don't tell me you're blowing him off again because of what happened between me and Meena."

Her eyes turned watery as she said defensively, "No…believe it or not the world doesn't revolve around you."

She got up to leave but I grabbed her hand. I noticed that it was trembling slightly in my grasp. In a gentler tone, I said, "I'm sorry all right. Tell me what's wrong."

She shook her head and looked at her feet. I didn't think she was going to say anything, but then she finally spoke in a tiny voice, "Nate, I-I haven't been feeling very good lately and I—"

A knock on my door made Gracie jerk away. Sheesh, she was as skittish as a newly turned wolf. She brought a shaking hand to her face and quickly wiped away the tears that had started to fall on her cheeks just as our mom entered the room.

"Dinner's ready," she started to say but paused when she saw Gracie. "Gracie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," my sister muttered before hurrying out of the room. Seconds later, I heard her bedroom door slam.

"What was that about?" my mom asked.

"I don't know," I replied.

"Are you up for coming downstairs?" she questioned. "Or do you want me to bring up a tray of food?"

"I'll come downstairs."

"Okay then," my mom replied, looking instantly brighter.

I made my way slowly down the steps and headed into the kitchen. Glancing around, I saw through the glass door in the living room that my dad was sitting on the porch outside despite the fact that it was drizzling out. He was hunched over with his head bent down.

"Mom," I said as she finished setting the table.

"Hmm?"

"Why is Dad sitting in the rain?"

Her expression turned sad as she paused to stare at her husband. "Your accident has brought up a lot of bad memories for him. He's never quite learned to forgive himself for injuring me."

She gripped one of the table chairs until her knuckles turned white. Looking at me, she said, "Imprinting is supposed to make everything easy. You're supposed to meet the one you're destined to be with and live happily ever after. But life isn't some fairytale. The road to true love is never smooth."

She touched the raised lines on her scarred cheek. "You know what though, Nate? I wouldn't change one single moment of my life with your dad. The accident that caused these scars is what woke me up and made me realize how much I loved him." A smile appeared on her face as she added, "And on that note, what are you going to do about Meena?"

I was startled for a moment before I said, "I'm going to go get her."

My mom looked smug as she came over and gently patted my cheek. "Good boy."

"You're okay with that?" I asked. "You're not mad at Meena?"

She shook her head. "Meena would never hurt you on purpose. She loves you too much. Anyone who loves a child of mine like that gets points with me. And to be honest Nate, you're miserable without her, which makes you miserable to live with." My mom paused and gave me a smile. "No offense."

"None taken," I replied, my mood lifting.

"The truth is I'm kind of relieved she bit you. I've been worried about what would happen if you ever got injected with her venom. Now we know. So let's eat before the food gets cold, okay?" She turned to the counter, grabbed a plate of food, and set it on the table. Raising her voice, she said, "Sam Uley, your ass better be in here in two seconds. Your son is out of bed and I want to celebrate."

She went into the laundry room and grabbed a fresh towel as my dad came inside dripping wet. She handed it to him and he wiped at his graying hair. Before he could move to put the towel away, my mom wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

I averted my eyes to give them privacy, but I heard her whisper, "You've got to stop this. Nate's okay. I'm okay. We're all fine and we love you. Stop punishing yourself."

I saw him shudder before he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, murmuring, "Em."

I reached for some broccoli and began eating, chewing as loud as I could to block out the sound of my parents who were now kissing. After a few minutes, I finally said in exasperation, "Would you two get a room already?"

My dad pulled away sheepishly. He came over to me and pulled my head to his chest which was damp from being outside.

"Don't ever do that to me ever again," he warned.

"Really didn't like the experience the first time around," I pointed out as I pulled away. "And considering Meena won't even talk to me, I seriously doubt I'll have the opportunity."

"Didn't you tell your mother you were going to go after to her?" he reminded me. Damn his still stellar hearing.

"Yeah," I admitted.

"Then buck up," he said, hitting me on the shoulder. "You're a Uley. We always get our girl. We're too charismatic and good looking to resist."

He winked at my mom who raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Nice parenting, Sam."

He grinned back, his bad mood lifted. We sat down to eat, the atmosphere much lighter than it had been since I got out of the hospital. Even Gracie came down to eat with us, her face free of tears. The topics were kept neutral, neither parent pressing us to talk about our imprint problems. It was one of the best meals I could ever remember having with my family.

The next day I woke up feeling optimistic. I grabbed my phone and tried calling Meena again, pacing around my room as the call went through. To my surprise, she answered.

"Hey," I told her, suddenly nervous. "I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"I know," she replied, her voice dead. "I'm sorry for not getting back to you. I…I needed to think."

My stomach twisted at her tone. "And what conclusions did you come up with?"

"Nate, do you think it's possible that imprints can just be friends?"

"We are friends," I immediately replied. "You're my best friend, Meena."

"That's not what I meant," she said softly.

I sat down on my bed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "I know."

"I do love you, Nate."

I froze. "Why does that sound like goodbye?"

There was silence for several pain filled seconds, and then I heard her whisper, "Nate, I-I think we should try dating other people."

I unfroze…and quickly began to shake in anger. "What are you talking about? I don't want anyone but you."

"Nate…I could have lost you. I watched you almost die. If my mom hadn't been there to get the venom out of you, you could very well have died. I saw your veins turn black. I can't get that image out of my head."

"Meena, I'm fine," I said panicking. "Let's meet face to face and I'll prove it to you."

"Nate—"

"Do you really want me dating someone else?" I interrupted, gripping my phone tight.

"Yes…no. I…I don't know what I'm saying," she said and it was obvious that she was crying. "I'm so scared and confused and…" Her voice paused. "I'm sorry."

The line went dead.

And in that moment, the cool leveled calmness that I was known for left me and fury like I'd never felt before exploded inside me. I was amazed I didn't phase in my rage. Instead, I threw my phone across the room as hard as I could. It shattered against the bedroom wall leaving a large dent in its wake. With trembling hands, I grabbed my car keys off my dresser and headed out into the hallway where my sister was just coming up the stairs.

Gracie saw me and her eyes went wide. She pressed herself against the wall as I passed. I was starting to shake so hard I was blurring. Going outside into the cool air did little to calm my temper.

I was sick of this shit.

I was sick of the constant dance that Meena and I had been playing with each other ever since we first met.

I was sick of her running away whenever the going got tough.

Fuck that!

With jerking movements, I made my way towards my Chevelle just as Jason Pachena and Devlin came up the driveway.

"Hey man," Devlin said in instant concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, jerking open my door.

"Is there a problem? Do you need us to go with you?" Jason asked eagerly.

"No," I answered as I sat down in my car and slammed the door shut. It groaned in protest.

"Where are you going?" Devlin yelled.

I put the key in the ignition and started my car.

Revving the engine, I replied, "I'm going to get my imprint."

With that, I put the car into drive and pointed it towards Canada.

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**End Note**

Don't forget to check out the blog and the "Passionate About Paul" contest!

Twitter followers, I'll be posting the next chapter's title on there very soon…it should give you a **big** clue as to what's going to happen next. *snickers*

I'm almost done with the next chapter so I should hopefully have it finished in the next week or so.

Chapter feedback will earn you cyber kisses from Nate!


	23. Clash Of The Alphas

Thank you so much for the reviews on the previous chapter. I'm sorry I didn't answer any of them, but as people who follow me on twitter know, my dog got really sick last week and sadly she passed away. I truly appreciate the condolences and supportive PMs I received from everyone. Hopefully a lot of the questions you had for me in your reviews will be answered in the next couple of chapters. Thank you again for your continued support of this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I've been planning it since Early Imprint (almost two years).

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_Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em._

_William Shakespeare_

_Twelfth Night_

**Chapter 23 – Clash of the Alphas**

_April 5, 2026_

Nate's POV

The rain beat against the windshield of my car as I drove over the Canadian borderline. I had been driving almost nonstop since I left La Push only making one stop for gas and a couple of necessities. Even driving now I had a death grip on the steering wheel, and I kept having to take deep breaths to control my anger.

I had only been to the Cullens' house once before, but I knew exactly where I was headed. All I had to do was tune into my internal GPS connected to Meena. I could feel our bond getting stronger the closer I got to their home, tugging at the base of my spine like an invisible chain pulling me to her.

I finally arrived at their house and parked my car stepping out of it quickly. The rain instantly soaked me as I stood there breathing in the scent of fresh pine and vampire stench. But I could also smell the fragrant scent of wildflowers…Meena.

I tried to take a step forward but I had to pause as I realized how weak I was. My pent up emotion had diminished some of the strength my still recovering body had reserved. I lifted my face up to the gray sky and let the rainwater soothe me before I took another step forward, determination making me strong. As I approached the porch, the front door opened. A large figure was silhouetted against the frame before Jacob stepped outside examining me closely.

I lifted my chin in defiance. "I'm here to speak to Meena."

His lips quirked briefly and for a second I could have sworn I saw amusement glint in his eyes.

"Meena," he called out. "You have a guest."

A crowd of vampires came out onto the porch. Leading them was Jasper and Emmett. For once Emmett didn't look like his usual relaxed self. His arms were folded formidably across his chest as he stared at me. I could almost read his mind…_upset my niece and you die._ The crowd parted and Meena came toward me.

Our eyes locked and I felt my strength return. It was as if being in her presence restored my wellbeing. To my relief I saw a range of emotion enter her eyes. Excitement. Happiness. Confusion. And rejection. It was that last expression that made my back stiffen. If she wanted a fight, she'd get one.

"I don't think these two need an audience," Jacob said to the vampires before looking pointedly at the house. They reluctantly returned inside. Jacob cupped his daughter's cheek before glancing at me. To my surprise he gave me a little wink before he also disappeared inside.

Meena's head was bowed as she stared down at the wet pavement near my feet. "What are you doing here, Nate?"

"I had to see you," I told her as I took a step toward her. She froze and I stopped moving.

"Nate…" Meena wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Look at me," I said. Her eyes hitched up from the ground to my chest, but that was as far as they went. Before I could stop it, my Alpha voice erupted out of me. "Look at me, Meena!"

Her gaze slowly met mine. "Do you see me?" I asked. "I'm standing here in front of you."

"I know," she said with a frown.

"I'm here," I said, patting my chest to emphasize my point. I took another step toward her. When she didn't retreat, I took another one and then another until I was inches from her. I reached out and gently caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes in response.

"I'm here," I repeated. "And I'm fine."

"Nate." She quickly shook her head, but I didn't miss the slight trembling of her chin. "I can't—"

"Dammit Meena," I swore in frustration, turning away from her as anger simmered inside me.

"You should probably go," she whispered.

I turned back so that I could stare at her incredulously. "Are you serious?"

She hesitated…and that's what solidified my resolve.

"I'm not going anywhere until I make you see sense," I informed her.

Her eyes returned to the ground. "Aren't you supposed to do what I ask? Aren't you supposed to give your imprint whatever she wants?"

I felt pain lance down my spine as I pitted my will against hers. "I'd give you the world if you wanted it, but if I think you're wrong—which in this case you are—I'm going to fight it no matter how much it hurts me. Because what we have will never be over. Don't you get that? We'll want each other until the end of time and beyond. Being away from each other will fester inside us, eating away at our souls like a cancerous tumor until neither of us will be able to function."

A tear spilled over Meena's cheek. I wiped it away with the back of my hand.

"Meena, you don't want this," I whispered insistently. "You know you don't."

She shook her head in denial. "Yes I do."

"Look at me," I ordered again and her eyes met mine once more. The pain in them caused my stomach to twist. I cupped the back of her neck with my hand as I said, "Tell me that you don't love me. Convince me and I'll leave you alone forever."

Her chin wobbled briefly. She swallowed audibly before saying, "I-I don't love you."

I sucked in a breath as I let Meena go. Running a hand through my hair, I bit out, "You're lying. I know you are. Do you really think I can't feel every goddamn emotion that you do? Do you _still_ not understand our connection? Why do you keep doing this to us? When are you going to learn that life isn't easy and that you have to take some risks every once in awhile?"

Meena stiffened in anger. Seeing that made me feel hopeful. I wanted her to react. Anything was better than the robot impression she had been giving me.

"You don't think I know life isn't easy?" she snapped.

"No, I don't," I argued. "I think you've been wrapped up in a little precious bubble your whole freaking life. You've been isolated and protected so much that you don't know how to handle anything. You want to live in the real world? Grow up. Or are you going to live with mommy and daddy for the rest of your existence pretending not to feel?"

Meena flew at me and smacked me hard across the face…so hard in fact that I was rocked backwards and almost lost my balance. But it was nothing compared to how torn up I was inside for hurting my imprint.

"You selfish jerk!" she screamed. "I'm doing this for you and all you're thinking about is yourself—about how this affects poor little you. About how you can't have your imprint! How dare you tell me I have to grow up when you're acting like a little kid throwing a tantrum. Fuck you Nate! Go find yourself a girl from the rez and I'll find myself a nice vampire—someone who's just like me—and we'll all live happily ever after. But first do me a favor and go to hell!"

Fury, fear, and a healthy dose of jealousy at the idea of Meena being with anyone but me made me lose it. I grabbed her shoulders and yanked her off the porch into the rain. She crashed into me and I wrapped my arms around her like a vice.

"Well sweetheart, if I'm going to hell I'm not going alone," I informed her bitterly.

And with that ugly statement lingering in the air, I forced my mouth onto hers. I could taste blood in my mouth, but I didn't know if it was mine or hers. If it was mine I'd most likely get another sample of Meena's venom. At this point I was all for it. I even hoped it would kill me this time. What was the point of living if I couldn't be with this beautiful, amazing, incredibly infuriating woman?

Meena pushed against me and kept her body stiff. It only made me more determined to get a response. I flicked my tongue across her bottom lip. I could taste a cut on her flesh and I whimpered in remorse. Hearing the noise, Meena began to soften moving her arms towards my neck. My heart leapt in victory.

But before we could go any further, I was forcibly pushed away from her. I went sailing through the air and hit the ground hard. The rain blinded me for a moment. Wiping at my face, I saw Gabe standing over me with his arms trembling.

"I think it's time you left," he said in a cold voice.

I looked over at my imprint. Meena was standing with her hand over her mouth, her face pale. A woman with long strawberry blond hair was standing next to her. She was beautiful even as her golden eyes stared at me in disgust. She wrapped an arm around Meena's waist and I went on instant alert. This person—this vampire—wasn't familiar to me. I knew she wasn't a Cullen and illogical fear ripped through me.

"Meena," I said in a panicked voice. I got up quickly from the ground and took a hurried step toward her but Gabe was in my way again.

Suddenly Meena's image began to double and then multiply. I stopped briefly in confusion. I was surrounded by a hundred different Meenas. Some were yelling at me. Some were crying. Several were telling me to leave. None looked happy. It took me a half second to realize what was going on.

Turning to Gabe, I yelled, "Get the fuck out of my head!" The images instantly cleared.

"Don't go near them," he countered threateningly. He moved so that he was between me and the women. All sane thought left me as my human side evaporated and the Alpha took over.

I looked at Gabe and let the hatred course through me. This man almost killed my sister, and now he was letting my imprint near some leech I didn't know. Before I could even guess my own intentions, I lunged for him. Grabbing his neck, I hurled him to the ground. I was aware that Jake, Renesmee, and some of the other Cullens had gathered on the porch. It didn't stop me from punching Gabe hard in the face. To my immense satisfaction, I heard something crack loud.

"Stop them," Renesmee pleaded to Jake and Emmett.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Emmett took a step forward, but Jacob held out his arm and stopped him. My distraction gave Gabe enough time to phase. He hit me with full force, head-butting me in the chest. I bounced off a nearby tree before landing face first it the mud.

"Don't," Jake said. "Sam and I had to learn to tolerate each other. So do these two."

Knowing Jake wouldn't stop me, I phased and jumped on Gabe, biting into his neck. He howled in pain which caused a commotion near the porch. I could see the new vampire coming at me. I turned on her and growled. Emmett grabbed her before she could get close.

"Calm down, Tanya," he said. "Gabe's tough."

"I'll kill him," she yelled, looking at me with the eyes of a predator. I took a menacing step toward her and Gabe growled furiously somewhere nearby.

He grabbed me from behind and bit into my shoulder. He had such a strong grip that he was able to pull me halfway across the yard. I started to squirm and broke free from his painful hold, ripping my skin in the process.

"Stop this!" I heard a faint voice say.

I looked over and saw Meena looking at me, tears streaming down her face.

"Please stop this," she whispered to me.

And just like that my anger evaporated. I phased back into my human form right as Gabe came at me with his teeth bared. I did nothing to halt his progression. Even if _he_ wanted to stop I didn't think he could in time. I closed my eyes as I felt his breath on my skin. My lips clamped together to hold back my scream as he sunk his teeth into my flesh, biting down to the bone as I went stumbling to the ground. He let go of me immediately, shock evident in his eyes.

Gabe wasn't near me for long. Something hit him hard and he went flying. I looked up and saw Meena crouched over me, her eyes locked on her brother.

"Don't you touch him," she warned.

"And there you have it," Jacob stated somewhere in the distance, his voice filled with satisfaction.

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Gabe said in his human voice as he hurried over to me. He shook his head as he stared down at me. "Why'd you stop?"

"For her," I told him even as the world went black and my eyes rolled in my head. The sound of Meena's sobs brought me back along with the sensation of water hitting my face.

"Stop crying before you drown me," I grumbled, opening my eyes slowly. I realized we were still outside, my head resting comfortably in Meena's lap. Rain poured down gently on both of us.

"He should be okay," Carlisle said next to me. "He's already healing, but he's still pretty weak from his encounter with your venom. We should get him inside."

"Wait," I said looking at Carlisle. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Sure," he replied giving me an encouraging look.

Meena sniffed as the doctor walked away. "He could have killed you."

I reached up, ignoring the screaming pain in my shoulder, and lightly touched the small bruise on Meena's bottom lip from where I'd kiss her earlier. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," she whispered. "And I'm sorry for what I said."

"Me too," I responded. "I didn't mean it. Any of it."

We stared at each other, unsure of what to say next. Finally, I said, "At least Gabe and I were able to stop fighting. That's a good sign, right?"

"He could have killed you," she repeated shakily.

"Nah," I assured her. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Meena tried to smile but instead burst into hysterical sobs. I sat up carefully only to pull her against me. I noticed offhandedly that someone had put a blanket around me. I moved my imprint so that she was on my lap and out of the mud.

"Meena," I murmured against her ear, feeling relief at having her close by. Everything was so confusing for me when she was gone. But having her in my arms made the world clear again. Nuzzling her skin I said, "Now we know."

Her own arms went around me. "Hmm?"

"Everything feels right again. You can feel that, can't you? The clarity? Being away from you only makes me feel confused and angry. Now…it's like I can see again after walking around in a fog. Do you get what I'm saying, Meena?"

Her arms tightened around me momentarily before she buried her face against my neck. I heard her softly state, "Yes."

"Then don't you see…it's stupid for us to be apart. It doesn't make any sense. We can work out anything as long as we're together. Just like my fight with Gabe. I was able to control the Alpha inside me when I really tried. And he stopped fighting me too before you hit him—that was impressive by the way." Meena smiled and I continued, "We also know your venom can't kill me."

"But Nate, if I hurt you again—"

I moved my mouth to hers, kissing her so that she couldn't speak. Pulling away slightly, I said, "I told you, I can't die from your venom. We were made for each other. Embry says I'm immune to it. It'll hurt like hell if you bite me again but I won't die."

Meena began playing nervously with the blanket trapped between us. She opened her mouth and closed it again. Her chin started to wobble as she slowly shook her head. Her eyes went to my chest and I could feel her mentally distancing herself from me. I grabbed her cheeks and forced her to look at me.

"What is it? What aren't you telling me?" I asked. Because I knew there was something going on here that I wasn't seeing.

"Nate…" Meena started to say but paused as a couple of tears spilled down her cheeks, blending in with the rain saturating her skin. "I…I haven't been entirely truthful with you."

"What do you mean?" I questioned not letting her look away from me.

"Carlisle said…" I saw her visibly swallow before she continued in a hoarse whisper, "Carlisle said that I'm becoming immortal. T-That my vampire traits are probably becoming more prominent."

"What does that mean?" I questioned, my forehead furrowing in confusion.

"I don't know," she replied. "But I might need blood more often."

"Is that it?" I asked slowly, still unsure why she was making a big deal of this.

"No," she said in exasperation. "It means I could become like my family members. What if my eyes turn golden? What if I smell like a vampire to you? What if I r-repulse you?"

"Impossible," I answered. "But let's deal with one concern at a time. Is that what Carlisle said will happen?"

"He said he doesn't know."

"For fuck's sake, Meena," I said as I rested my forehead against hers and felt my shoulders relax. "You worry about the dumbest shit."

She sucked in an indignant breath, but before she could tell me off I kissed her again. She resisted at first but I soon had her responding. Reluctantly pulling away from her mouth, I said, "You're talking about probabilities. I'm going to tell you some solid facts. One, we can't live without each other. Two, the powers that be destined for us to be together and they've been matching couples successfully for centuries. Three, if I can tolerate your venom and brother within a week of each other, I think I can handle it if your scent changes. And four, if you do start to stink, Costco sells air fresheners in bulk."

She looked shocked for a minute and then she laughed. That lasted about a second before she was in tears again. I silently thanked whatever deity was listening for making me a man. Women were too damned emotional.

"What else?" I asked calmly.

"What if I miss my window and can't give you children?" she whispered sadly.

"I'll happily do everything in my power to get you pregnant before that happens," I said giving her a wide grin.

"Watch it, dog," Rosalie said somewhere inside the house and I rolled my eyes.

A half smile appeared on Meena's face before she frowned again. "And if I can't get pregnant?"

"Then I guess Gabe's kids will inherit the pack," I said with a shrug.

"He's in love with a vampire," Meena reminded me.

"Oh right," I said as I picked up her hand and began to kiss the back of each finger. "Well, I guess Gracie and Ryan's kids would be next in line." I paused to shake my head at that thought. "Jesus…the poor pack."

Meena looked at me in amazement. "You make it sound so simple."

"That's because it is," I replied.

She continued to stare at me and then she threw her arms back around me, hugging me so hard she knocked the breath out of me. And in that moment, something shifted between us. I closed my eyes in relief as I felt the change. Somehow—someway—I knew we were going to be okay.

Meena reassured me further when she moved her lips near my ear and pleaded quietly, "Don't ever give up on me."

"I have no intention to," I responded.

"I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too," I told her. "I don't ever want to be apart from you again."

"Me either."

I leaned back so that I could look Meena in the eyes. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "Like you said, everything is clear now that we're together again."

"And you're not afraid anymore?"

She ran her thumb over my cheekbone. "No, I think you've drummed it into my head enough. We're going to be fine as long as we're together."

"Good." I replied as I felt the rest of my tension leave my shoulders. Cupping her cheek tenderly I said, "Will you do something for me then, Meena?"

"What?" she asked, giving me her special half smile.

"Marry me."

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at me blankly. Somewhere inside the Cullen house someone squealed, but I forced myself to focus on my imprint. However, she seemed to have gone comatose.

"Meena?" I questioned nervously.

"I…I…"

"I know it might seem too soon—you know, given we're still in high school and all—but it seems right…right?"

"But…why?" she finally got out. "Why now?"

_Because you're my entire world…because I want to tie you to me so tightly that you'll never be able to leave me again…_

"Well, we'll be able to live together at college for one thing," I told her stupidly.

Her face fell in disappointment. "That's true. And it's very practical of you."

"Not very romantic though," a disgusted voice I recognized as Alice's said from inside the house.

"You could at least get on your knees, asshat," Emmett shouted also from somewhere inside. He made an "oof" noise right after that, so I assumed someone elbowed him in the stomach.

"No privacy," I muttered before I made Meena stand up. Moving to my knees, I grabbed her hands. "Okay. Let me try this again. You want to know why I want to marry you. How about this? I want to marry you because I want to know that if we fight you'll still be there when I wake up in the morning."

Her face continued to look disappointed so I kept going. "I want to marry you because you're my best friend and you understand me better than anyone…and I understand you better than you think." Her face started to lighten giving me courage. "I want to marry you because my life isn't worth living if you're not in it. I want to marry you because—hell, I could give you a hundred different reasons why I want to marry you but it all boils down to one thing. I love you, Meena. I'll love you forever. So marry me…please."

She stared at me for a second as if processing everything I said…and then she slowly nodded her head. "Yes," she whispered.

I stood up and grabbed her to me, lifting her off the ground and kissing her until we were both breathless.

"Did that boy just propose to my baby butt naked?" Esme Cullen asked. Meena and I pulled away from each other and I set her on the ground. Looking down, I saw that the blanket which had been around me was lying in a muddy pile at my feet.

"Oh!" I said, quickly grabbing it and wrapping it around my waist.

We were soon surrounded by Meena's family and ushered inside. Emmett grabbed me by the shoulder and escorted me to his room where he gave me some clothes to wear. I tried to ignore the burning sensation they caused in my nose, but Emmett was one of the only ones in the house close to my size. As I hadn't brought anything with me in my hurry to reunite with Meena, they'd have to do.

I started to head to the bathroom to shower off the mud but I paused. "Hey Emmett?"

"Yeah?"

"I think my clothes are in shreds outside, but I had something in the pocket of my jeans and—"

"I'm on it," he replied. "Just take a shower. You reek like wet dog."

"Ha, ha," I mumbled as I stepped into the bathroom. I took a quick shower and got dressed, breathing through my mouth so that my nostrils didn't become inflamed by the smell. I opened the bathroom door and found Meena leaning against the wall opposite me. She had my shredded clothes in her arms.

"Hey," she said giving me a shy smile.

"Hey," I replied moving so I could kiss her neck and breathe in her sweet wildflower scent.

"Emmett said you wanted what was left of your clothes," she murmured.

Pulling away, I look down at the scraps of material. The front of my jeans had ripped away from the back part when I phased and the legs were missing, but the pockets had thankfully remained in tact. I reached inside one and to my relief felt what I was looking for. I pulled out the tiny jewelry box and saw Meena's eyes go wide.

"I bought this on my way up on the off chance that you'd say yes," I told her. I was suddenly nervous as I opened the box. The ring wasn't the best thing out there. It certainly wasn't fit for someone of Meena's wealthy lifestyle. It had two silver bands that swirled around the world's tiniest diamond. But even given how chintzy it looked, it still had taken up a large chunk of the money I'd saved up working at the _Clearwater Supply Store_.

Meena kept staring at the ring without saying a word so I began to babble, "I know it's not much. Someday I'll buy you the ring you deserve. This is kind of a stepping stone—"

Meena threw the remnants of my clothes on the floor and covered my mouth with her hand. "Nate, shh. You're ruining the moment for me."

She grabbed the box out of my grasp and touched the diamond with the tip of her finger. Her eyes turned watery as she said, "This is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen."

"Yeah?" I asked unsurely.

"Absolutely," she replied. "Now, do you want to put it on me?"

I grinned and pulled the ring out of the box, throwing the empty container on top of my ruined clothes. I slid the band carefully on Meena's delicate finger. It fit perfectly.

"Oh my God," she said excitedly, her eyes lighting up. "We're engaged!"

I laughed and pulled her against me. I kissed her mouth lightly where I'd injured it earlier. I was trying to be gentle but Meena wouldn't have it. She plastered herself against me and thrust her tongue between my lips. Not one to argue with my imprint—well, too much anyway—I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her off the floor. She immediately moved her legs so that they were around my hips. Things were starting to get heated when we heard the obnoxious sound of someone clearing their throat. Meena and I simultaneously sighed as we broke apart and turned to find Alice staring at us with one eyebrow raised.

"You two can save that for the honeymoon," she informed us. "We've got a wedding to plan."

Meena groaned but let her aunt drag her into the living room where the entire Cullen clan was waiting for us, including Gabe and his vampire. To my relief, the usual tension that existed between us wasn't as bad as it had been before. Perhaps we had gotten everything out of our system with our earlier confrontation. Or maybe we had both grown up since we first met. All I knew for sure was that we had finally learned to control our Alpha impulses around each other…for Meena's sake. Gabe came over to me and tentatively stuck out his hand.

"Welcome to the family," he said.

I looked at his outstretched palm and I could feel the family watching our exchange closely. Slowly, I reached for his hand and shook it. We both smiled sheepishly at each other and the rest of the room broke out into different conversations. Gabe didn't move away from me as I expected him to.

"Listen," he said. "About Gracie…"

"Forget about it," I told him. What happened in the past was exactly that…the past. Well, almost. I added, "It's not me you have to settle things with."

"Yeah," Gabe replied. "I guess Ryan's not exactly cheering for me, huh?"

I quirked an eyebrow at him. He nodded in weary acceptance and said, "I didn't think so."

"Gabe," the new vampire came over to us and I held my breath. She glared at me as she said, "Why don't we go out for awhile?"

She ran her hand suggestively down his chest. To Gabe's credit, he didn't give in.

"We just got dry," he pointed out.

"It smells bad in here," she complained giving me another dirty look. Gabe chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Be good," he whispered before turning to me. "Nate, this is Tanya."

"Hey," I replied as politely as I could. She nodded disdainfully in my direction. I barely managed not to roll my eyes. Turning back to Gabe I said, "I think I'll join Meena."

"Sure," he said but he wasn't paying attention. He and Tanya had begun whispering things to each other I had no interest in hearing. I moved to sit next to Meena on the couch. Jacob was sitting on the couch opposite us with Renesmee curled up by his side. He had his legs sprawled out in front of him, one crossed over the other, and his hands were behind his head. I also noticed he was looking extremely smug.

"So will you be moving back to Forks?" I asked him casually.

"Of course," Jacob replied. "I never really planned on staying away for too long in the first place. I was going to give you another couple of weeks to get your butt up here and then we were headed back."

"What are you talking about?" Meena asked.

"Just the fact that your dear old dad is brilliant," he told her. Someone across the room snorted—I was pretty sure it was Edward—but Jacob wasn't fazed. He said, "My plan worked, didn't it?"

"And what plan was that exactly?" Meena questioned her father suspiciously.

"Once upon a time when your mom was young she left home for a brief time," Jacob said. He looked pained for a minute and Ness reached up to kiss his cheek. He moved his hand so that he could brush his fingers across his imprint's jaw.

"It was one of the worst periods of my life," Jake told us, tearing his gaze away from his wife. "When imprints get separated from each other after they've been together for awhile, they go into 'the cloud.'" He punctuated 'the cloud' with air quotes before continuing.

"Your brain turns to mush. You make bad decisions." He said this to his daughter who blushed. "And nothing makes sense anymore. Not to mention you feel like absolute shit. It's only when you get reunited that you start to wake up and things become clear. Sometimes you have to shake up an imprint to make the couple realize how important they are to each other."

Meena stiffened indignantly. "So I told Nate to date other people because of this stupid cloud and you didn't tell me?"

"Of course I didn't," her father replied. "It wouldn't have been as effective if you knew."

"Of all the lowdown, manipulative…" Meena started to grumble.

"You're welcome," Jake responded. "And I love you."

Meena glared at her father for a half a second before a smile broke out onto her face. "I love you, too. Thanks Dad. You _are_ brilliant."

"I thought we already determined that," Jacob replied, putting his hands back behind his head and looking like he didn't have a care in the world.

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I don't know if the rest of the world has Costco or if it's just an American thing, but in case you were wondering, Costco is a large warehouse/store that sells products in bulk.

Thanks Chloey-anne for giving me the idea to use Gabe's power against Nate.

Now someone requested cyber kisses from Gabe, so feedback on this chapter will earn you cyber kisses from him. :)


	24. Rolling In The Deep

A/N – Hello everyone! Just a couple of quick notes. As I mentioned in the recent Absent chapter, I contributed a story for the Fandom Fights Tsunami event, which will raise money for the people devastated by Japan's March earthquake. In a couple of my different imprint stories it was mentioned that Renesmee ran away from home when she was a teen because of Jacob. I wrote a one shot about that time in their relationship. It's over 12,000 words, which is about three chapters worth of information, and I also added a couple of twists. If you'd like to read it, there are details on my profile page about the event.

Now, when I updated Absent, the site wasn't letting authors respond to reviews so to answer a few questions I received about the one shot, at this time I have no intention of posting the story anywhere except through the fundraiser. I won't be posting it to this site. Also, if you don't have a Red Cross to donate to, check to see if your country is doing a fundraiser for the tsunami victims, and you can donate to that according to the Fandom Fights Tsunami people.

I also know there's another fundraiser currently taking place called the Fandom For Storms. They're trying to raise money for the people affected by the tornadoes that recently hit the States. I'm unable to contribute a story for this, but if you're a writer or reader, please consider donating your time or money to this cause. Thanks everyone!

**Story Recap** – Meena broke up with Nate, but he refused to accept that. He went to Vancouver and ended up getting into a fight with Gabe. They both worked out their anger issues and found a way to fight the Alpha aggression. Nate then proposed to Meena and she accepted. Meanwhile, to Ryan's confusion, Gracie has begun to avoid him. Nate's also noticed that she's been on edge and shaky lately.

The title for this chapter is from the Adele song of the same name. I had trouble uploading this, but hopefully it looks okay.

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_Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive. If you will these graces to the grave, and leave the world no copy. _

_William Shakespeare_

_Twelfth Night_

**Chapter 24 – Rolling In the Deep **

_April 8, 2026__ – __April 10, 2026_

Ryan's POV

"So…I wanted to discuss the wedding with you," Nate stated from where he was sitting on his parents' couch.

Nate, Meena, Jacob, and Renesmee had returned to the area with the news that Nate and his imprint were engaged. They were planning on getting married right after they graduated high school, which was in a couple of months. Sam and Emily had handled the news surprisingly well. Emily started calling everyone she knew to tell them about the upcoming nuptials. Sam simply shrugged and said, "If you must."

"I want you to attend," Nate said.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it," I replied matter-of-factually as I glanced impatiently at the clock on the living room DVD player.

I was waiting for Gracie to get home. As part of her punishment for the New Year's Eve incident, she was helping her grandma Uley at the tribe's cultural center. She'd been avoiding me lately and I had just had about enough of it. I needed to figure out what the hell was wrong with her this time, because I honestly couldn't relax until I did. I felt uptight—like my skin was crawling constantly with unease.

"The thing is…Gabe will be there," Nate said, giving me a measured look as I froze. "And Meena wants him in the wedding party, and I've got to have my sister in it…"

"No," I snapped, standing up from the chair I'd been sitting in to pace around the room. "Absolutely not."

"I wasn't asking for your permission," Nate replied steadily, but I could feel the Alpha vibe coming off him. "Neither Meena nor I are going to exclude our only siblings from the wedding. You can either accept that or not come."

I clamped my mouth shut and went over to the window so I could look outside. As tempting as it was, I couldn't boycott the wedding. There was no fucking way I was going to let Gabriel Black within twenty feet of Gracie. But there was also no way I could promise not to attack or kill him either.

As if reading my mind, Nate said, "If you decide to come, I don't want any fighting. I swear to God if you ruin my wedding, I will rip your ass a new one."

"Fine," I said through clenched teeth.

"Good," Nate said, standing up. "I'm going over to Meena's. Alice Cullen keeps calling her every two minutes about wedding details, and last time I talked to Meena she was threatening to go up north and dismember her aunt."

"They're not coming here for the wedding, are they?" I asked. "The leeches, I mean."

"No," Nate replied tightly. "We're planning on getting married on the Makah rez. My mom's family is still there and we'll be far enough away from La Push that the Cullens shouldn't trigger phasing in the local population. And don't call them leeches."

"Oh, I forgot. They're your _family_ now," I said sarcastically and watched Nate's jaw tighten before he took a deep breath.

"All right, I'm out," he stated coolly. He jerked his car keys out of his pant pocket and headed for the front door.

Once it closed behind him, I resumed my pacing. Tension kept mounting in my back until my body ached with it. My teeth started to grind together and when I opened my mouth, I felt the jaw muscles snap. Unable to take the internal pressure anymore, I headed outside. If Gracie wasn't going to come to the house anytime soon, I'd meet her at the cultural center. I ran my hand through my hair as I walked. I'd been feeling like this for the past couple weeks and I knew it was all due to Gracie.

I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. Ever since Meena bit Nate, Grace had been putting distance between us, though she insisted nothing was wrong. Sometimes when I did corner her into hanging out, she was only there physically not mentally. Her eyes were always vacant, her mind elsewhere.

I headed down the road toward the center, my feet pounding the pavement with frustration in each step I took. When I was halfway there, I picked up the mixed scent of wild roses—Gracie's natural scent—and orange blossoms, the new shampoo she'd been using the past couple of months. My head jerked up and I saw my imprint walking toward me, her head down. I stopped as I examined her face. She was pale and looked exhausted.

"Grace," I said when she got within hearing distance. Her head popped up, her eyes going wide.

"W-What are you doing here?" she asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a trembling hand.

"I was looking for you."

"Oh…" she said, looking blankly to my side. And there it was—that same dammed absent look she'd been giving me the past couple of weeks. I felt myself snap as I rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders.

"God dammit Gracie! Tell me what the fuck is wrong."

She looked at my cheek, still avoiding my gaze, but I saw tears glistening in her eyes. I loosened my grip without letting her go. She looked so miserable I ached for her.

"Baby, please…" I begged. "Tell me what's wrong."

She shook her head for a second and then froze, her eyes closing as she took several deep breaths. She tried to pull away from me, but I refused to let her.

"Let me go," she suddenly said, pushing feebly at my chest. When I still didn't release her, she screamed, "Let me go or I'm going to throw up all over you."

My hands dropped immediately to my sides. She ran over to a nearby bush and I heard the sound of her retching. She collapsed to the ground and I hurried over to her, kneeling down by her side.

"Gracie!" I grabbed her hair and held it away from her face as she threw up some more. When she finished, she burst into tears.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. You're sick," I said, trying to pull her into my arms, but she resisted. "Grace, let me get you home."

She shook her head, her chin trembling. She looked so pallid and upset, I began to feel panicky for some strange reason.

"Please let me get you home," I pleaded. "You're ill—"

"I'm not ill," she said, a tear spilling down her cheek as she turned to face me. "I-I'm pregnant."

My hands dropped away from her as I sat down hard on the ground next to her.

"What?" I had to ask to make sure I hadn't misheard her.

"I'm pregnant," she said again, her voice weak.

"But…" I couldn't continue. Since we started dating, I had treated Gracie like the Virgin Mary. The furthest we had gone were some heated kisses. I couldn't comprehend what she was telling me. My eyes drifted to her flat stomach and I tuned into my senses.

I could hear Gracie's heart pounding erratically. I could hear the oxygen filling and leaving her lungs. And then I heard what I was dreading. The sound was so faint, you would have missed it unless you were really paying attention. The quiet beat blended perfectly with its mother's.

"Jesus," I muttered as I got up from the ground, running a hand through my hair. Gracie sat where she was, her eyes glued to my feet.

Swallowing hard, I said, "Zack…Zack's the father."

She nodded but didn't speak. My hands clenched to my sides as I fought the urge to go over to the bastard's house and kill him.

"Didn't you use protection?" I asked. Again she just sat there, and then she slowly shook her head.

"What the fuck, Gracie!" I yelled as I started to pace in front of her.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "We always did before it's just that…that one time neither of us were planning on seeing each other that day and—"

"Stop." I didn't want details. I took a shaky breath as I tried to get my brain to function. "What…what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet," she said, her voice now thick with tears.

"What'd Zack say?" I asked, practically spitting out the name.

"I haven't told anyone yet." And then she met my eyes, but I found that I couldn't meet her gaze. I looked away. "I've only told you," she murmured.

I wanted to hit something—hard. But somehow, I managed to keep up a normal conversation. It was like I was having an outer body experience. I knew I was speaking but the words barely registered.

"You need to tell your parents," I said. And being the ever fucking perfect imprinter, I added, "You need to be on vitamins or something."

She slowly stood up from the ground. Her new scent wafted over to me. Now I knew why she smelled differently. Because she had Zack's bastard child inside her.

I had the strangest feeling that I was in shock. I knew I was walking and talking. And I knew I felt a fury inside me that I'd never felt before. But strangely enough, I hadn't phased. I felt so numb, I didn't know if I'd ever be able to phase again.

"Ryan…" Gracie said, taking a step toward me, her hand outstretched. I countered and took several steps away from her, turning so I wouldn't have to look at her. I heard a car door slam in the distance and Sam and Emily's voices carried through the wind.

"Your parents are home," I told her casually—as if my world hadn't just imploded.

"Ryan," she whispered. "Please don't hate me."

"You need to tell your parents," I repeated, my voice dead.

"Will you stay with me while I tell them?" she asked meekly.

I turned to look at her incredulously. When I saw that she was serious, I made a scoffing noise.

"Sure," I replied in a tone that made her wince. "Why the fuck not."

I walked towards the Uley house without looking back at Gracie, but I knew she was following. Just as we reached the front lawn, Nate pulled up in his car.

He got out of the vehicle and said, "I forgot to grab my homework. Rafe gave Meena and I…" He paused as he looked at us. "Everything okay?"

"Oh…Gracie's got some spectacular news," I bit out just as Gracie reached my side. I saw her flinch, but felt completely indifferent to it.

"What's up?" Nate asked his sister.

She sighed and for a moment, I almost cracked. I wanted to yell at her for being so careless. I wanted to breakdown and cry because the first baby my imprint was going to have wasn't going to be mine. And a part of me wanted to very seriously die. The only reason this baby had been conceived was because Gracie had slept with Zack as a rejection of me and everything I'd wanted to offer her. She had wanted revenge because she found out I'd imprinted on her. She sure as hell got it.

But instead of letting my emotions loose, I kept myself still, not uttering a word. Gracie looked at me and her shoulders drooped.

"I need to talk to Mom and Dad," she said to Nate. "You might as well be here for this too."

With her head held high, she walked by me and went into the house. Nate gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head. I followed Gracie indoors with Nate walking closely behind me. We went into the living room where Sam and Emily were sitting on the couch kissing. Emily pulled back reluctantly and rested her head on her husband's shoulder.

"Hey kids," she said. "How was your day?"

"I'm pregnant," Gracie stated. If I wasn't feeling so sick about the situation, I would have smiled. That was my Grace for you. Blunt as always.

I heard Nate swear softly behind me. Emily went rigid. Sam didn't react at all at first. And then suddenly he was on his feet, charging me.

"You son of bitch!" he yelled right before his fist came out and hit my jaw like an anvil. My head exploded in pain. The guy may have been a retired wolf, but he was still tough as hell. My body ricocheted from the impact, and I hit the wall behind me, denting it with my weight before I collapsed to the floor. Well, wasn't this just fucking perfect.

"Dad! No!" Gracie screamed just as Sam grabbed my shirt with one hand. He looked like he was going to punch me again, but Nate grabbed him from behind and pulled him off me.

"Dad, Ryan isn't the father," Nate said as he wrapped his arms around his dad and locked him into place. "I patrol with the guy all the time. They're not…you know…"

Sam froze, his chest breathing hard. He jerked his head in Gracie's direction. "Who's the father then?"

"Zack," Gracie admitted shakily.

"But…" He looked at me in confusion and then at his daughter. Gracie didn't respond. She just stared down at her feet.

"When I told Gracie I'd imprinted on her a couple of months ago, she didn't handle the news well," I explained bitterly. "She saw Zack one more time before we started dating. At least…that's when I assumed it happened."

"I never cheated on you if that's what you're implying," Gracie said, staring at me with sad, defeated eyes. Again, I looked away.

A hysterical snort from the couch distracted all of us. We looked over to see Emily still sitting down, her hands covering her face. She snorted again and began to shake her head back and forth.

"Emily?" Sam said, taking a cautious step towards her.

"No," she mumbled through her hands. She finally removed them and looked up. The scars on the one side of her face stood out prominently against her flushed skin. "No!" she repeated firmly.

Sam reached for her, but Emily jerked out of his way and stood up. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she walked over to the window.

"I'm not even forty yet," she muttered mindlessly. "I'm too young to be a grandmother! I just can't…"

My eyebrows rose. So this was what Emily in shock looked like.

And then she started to sob. Hard. In all the years I'd known Emily, I had never seen her lose it. She'd patched us up without flinching, fed us when we needed it, and looked after all of us without ever breaking. She'd remained strong when Nate got hurt and Gracie had been hospitalized. Now she stood there, crying so hard her body shook all over. Sam hurried over to her and drew her into his embrace.

"Where did we go wrong with her, Sam?" she cried against his chest. "Where did we go wrong?"

I heard Gracie suck in a hurt breath, but I still couldn't go to her, even though the imprint bond inside me was pulling me toward her, aching to ease her pain. Instead of getting up from the floor, I just sat there, feeling completely drained.

"Gracie, go to your room," Sam said. "We'll talk later."

I felt Gracie's eyes on me, but I ignored her. She hurried out of the room on a soft sob. Moments later, I heard her bedroom door quietly shut. Nate came over to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, offering me his hand. I took it and got off the floor.

"Can I leave?" I questioned, unsure why I was asking for permission.

"Sure," Nate replied. "But…"

I headed toward the living room slider. Before I reached it, Sam said, "I'm sorry I punched you, Ryan. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

I nodded and walked quickly outside. I didn't even make it to the trees bordering the property before I finally gave in to my emotions and phased.

And I ran.

I ran until it was dark out and even then I kept going. I ran until I was so exhausted I could barely take another step. Only then did I finally force myself to head back to La Push. I made my way to Azra's apartment. When I walked inside, I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was past 4 AM.

"Is that you?" Azra said, coming out of his bedroom in his boxers.

"Yeah," I replied, making my way over to a box on the floor which I was using for a dresser. Grabbing some shorts out of it, I pulled them on and sat wearily on the couch.

Azra came over to me and handed me my cell phone. "Nate stopped by," he explained. "He said you phased out of your clothes. He found your phone in the pile of rubbish."

"Thanks," I said, taking the phone from him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Azra asked.

"No," I said. "I just want to sleep and forget this day ever happened."

"Well, check your voicemail," Azra instructed. "Nate said he was going to leave you a message."

"I will," I replied. Azra nodded and went back into his room.

I listened to my messages. One was from my dad. It was the same message he always left me. He wanted to know if I'd consider moving back to D.C. because they were missing me at my old job. As tempting as it was, and even though a change of scene would probably benefit me, I couldn't leave La Push. Not yet anyway. I erased the message and listened to the next one.

_Ryan, this is Nate. Just thought you'd want to know that Gracie decided to terminate the pregnancy. She's going on Friday to get the procedure done. Give me a call so I know you're all right._

I ended the call and threw my phone on the table next to the couch, running a hand over my face. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now, especially Gracie's brother. Grabbing my pillow and a blanket from beside the couch, I sprawled out and tried to fall asleep.

But it was useless. All I kept thinking about was Gracie's scared, pale face when she told me she was pregnant. Part of me wanted to seek her out and offer her the comfort that I had been giving her, her entire life. But another part of me wanted to leave La Push and never look back.

I just felt so…_betrayed_.

When I pictured my life with Gracie, I had always thought we'd date, I'd go to college with her, and then when she was old enough I'd propose. After a few years of marriage, maybe we'd even have a couple of kids. Never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined that I'd watch her go through a pregnancy scare with another guy's baby. And now she was going to have an abortion. Who knew if that would fuck her up or not.

Unable to sleep, I got up from the couch and went into Azra's kitchen. Pulling open the freezer door, I pulled out a bottle of vodka he kept stored there. If I couldn't sleep, I was going to try to get blitzed.

By 7 AM, I was slightly buzzed when Azra came out of his bedroom. He looked at the bottle that rested between my feet on the floor, and then at me where I sat hunched on the couch. Whistling softly, he went into the kitchen to start the coffee pot.

"You want me to tell Seth and Quil you won't be in today?" he asked. I'd started working at Seth and Quil's garage again. I was planning on returning to college, but by the time I moved back to La Push, the college semester had already started.

"Yeah, that'd be great," I said. "Thanks Az."

He came over and gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze. "You need to talk, you know where I am."

"I know. Thanks."

He nodded and headed for the bathroom. I heard the shower running a few minutes later. I went back to drinking. By the time Azra left for work, I had finished the vodka. But instead of getting drunk, I was already sobering up. Goddamn my body's high temperature and its ability to burn off alcohol quickly!

Unable to handle the silence or my own thoughts, I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower. When I got out, my phone was ringing with Nate's ringtone. Sighing, I went over and answered it.

"Ryan, are you okay?" he asked as soon as he heard me.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I questioned coldly. "My imprint's knocked up. Isn't that awesome?"

He didn't say anything at first, and then in a quiet voice I heard, "You're understandably upset—"

"Upset? Why would I be upset? Because I not only have to live with the knowledge that Gracie was so devastated by the news of our imprint that she slept with an ex-boyfriend, but said boyfriend also got her pregnant—"

"She's not going through with the pregnancy though," Nate interrupted.

"Doesn't matter," I muttered.

"She loves you," Nate said quietly. "I know my sister. She's crazy about you."

And that just made everything so much worse. Pinching the bridge of my nose with my fingers, I said, "How's she doing?"

"Not so good," Nate replied. "She told Zack yesterday. He said he didn't want anything to do with it and denied being the father."

"That fucking bastard," I growled.

"Yeah…apparently as soon as we graduate he's going to enlist in the military—if he can pass their drug test. At least you won't have to see him around the rez soon."

"Is she…" I had to pause before I forced myself to ask, "Is she sure an abortion is what she wants?"

"You know Gracie. She always acts first then thinks second, so who knows. If you're not too pissed at her tomorrow, I'm sure she could use your support."

"I don't know…"

"Ryan, I know this situation is unfair to you. But you and Gracie were friends before you ever started dating. And she's going to need you."

"Let me ask you something," I responded. "If it were Meena—if Meena got pregnant by another guy—how would you handle it?"

I heard his angry hiss and I could almost feel his murderous rage through the phone line.

"That's what I thought," I stated. Before he could say anything else, I hung up. Too restless to sit around, I finished getting dressed and went outside. I figured a walk might be just what I needed to clear my head and get control over my emotions.

I didn't even realize where I was headed until I heard a few car doors slam. Looking around, I saw that I was standing on the rez's high school property line. Kids were headed into the building with their book bags. I was about to turn and leave when I caught sight of Zack Murray. He was walking behind a couple of girls I recognized from the pictures Azra had sent me of Gracie when I lived in D.C. These were her friends…the same ones who encouraged her reckless behavior. I wanted to rip them apart for their crimes, but I set my eyes on Zack Murray. Before I could stop myself, I flew over to him and put him in a chokehold.

"What are you doing?" one of the girls screamed.

I moved quickly and without thought, dragging the squirming teenager towards the woods that were nearby.

"Let him go," the other girl demanded, but I walked too fast for them to catch up. When we were far enough into the woods, I let Zack go. He collapsed to the ground, his hands flying to his bruised neck.

"What the fuck!" he rasped out.

"Listen you piece of shit," I said menacingly. "If you do anything to hurt Gracie again, I'll kill you."

"Is that what this is about?" he asked, getting to his feet. He eyed me before a sneer appeared on his face. "Oh…I recognize you. You've been hanging around Gracie, right? What? Aren't you enjoying my sloppy seconds?"

My hand was around his throat instantly and I slammed him against a tree. A growl escaped my lips as I began to tremble. Zack's eyes went wide with fear. His face went from white to purple to blue.

I was going to do it. I was going to kill this son of a bitch.

Just as my fingers tightened on his skin, something slammed into me hard. I let Zack go as I hit the ground. Looking up, I saw Nate hovering over me, his body pining me to the forest floor. Meena and Rafe Elwah were leaning over Zack who lay unconscious on the ground.

"He's alive," Rafe said as he felt the pulse in Zack's throat. He looked at Nate and me before glancing at Meena. "Let's get him to Embry."

They reached down and lifted Zack off the ground, Rafe cradling the teen's deadweight in his arms. He turned to Nate who still had me in a death grip.

"I'll make up a good excuse why you're late for school," Rafe said and Nate nodded. As soon as Rafe, Zack, and Meena were out of sight, Nate let me go.

"What the hell were you thinking, Ryan?"

I didn't get up from the ground. Instead, I stared straight up at the trees above me. "I wasn't thinking."

"No shit," Nate said as he stood up. "If Zack doesn't suffer any permanent damage, we'll be lucky if he doesn't press charges against you."

"I don't care," I muttered as I got up from the ground.

"Ryan, don't destroy your life over her," Nate said.

I suddenly felt deflated as I whispered, "She _is_ my life."

"I know…which is why I have to do this."

When I looked at him in confusion, Nate said is in his strong Alpha voice, "You _will_ stay away from Zack Murray. You won't go near him again."

I gritted my teeth as the order washed over me, making me wince. "Fine," I finally agreed.

Nate nodded and walked away, disappearing into the woods. I leaned my forehead tiredly against a nearby tree. What was happening to me? I felt like I was coming unglued.

I made my way back home and lay down on the couch, falling into an exhausted sleep. I woke up hours later when Azra came home with pizza. He didn't force me to talk. Instead, we watched TV in silence. Around 9 PM, I got a call from Nate.

"Zack's fine," he told me. "Bruised, but fine. He agreed not to press charges."

"How'd you manage that?" I asked.

"Well…let's just say I brought up the fact that your dad is a high ranking government official and your ex-girlfriend's father is a senator. I told him his chances of getting into the military would probably be better if he forgot your little incident."

"You didn't have to do that," I said with a sigh.

"Trust me when I say it'll be the last time I do something like that for you," Nate stated coolly.

"Thanks Nate," I replied. "So—uh—what time's Gracie's appointment tomorrow?"

"10 AM."

"Okay, I'll wait for her at your parents' house."

"Ryan, I _am_ sorry…for everything you're going through."

"Don't worry about it," I said. "It's not your fault."

We hung up and Azra and I continued to watch movies for a few hours before he headed off to bed. I fell asleep shortly thereafter and didn't wake up again until Az left for work. When it finally got close to 10 AM, I headed over to the Uleys. Nate was waiting in the living room with Sam.

"You skipping school?" I asked him.

"I thought it was more important that I be here," Nate said with a shrug. Sam came over to me and squeezed my shoulder.

"How's the jaw?" he asked.

"It was only sore for a few hours before it healed," I replied. "Did Emily go with her?"

"Yeah," Sam said, running his hand over his face. He looked like he'd aged ten years in the span of a day.

We sat in silence and watched TV, waiting for Gracie to get back from the doctor's. Sometime later, we heard the front door open. I jerked to my feet and faced the room's entrance. Emily came in looking grim. She went over to Sam who instantly wrapped his arms around her. Then I caught Gracie's wild roses scent. My head turned in her direction just as she came into the room. And I felt my body freeze.

Because she also still smelled like orange blossoms.

"You didn't go through with it," I said.

Her eyes were red and puffy as she met my gaze. "I couldn't do it."

I took several steps away from her, then turned and headed out the living room slider. I didn't look back as I walked away from the Uley house. I kept moving until I reached the cliffs. I stared out at the ocean below and felt the vibrations through the rocks as wave after wave pounded against the cliffs' surface.

I didn't know how long I stood there staring emptily at the turbulent water when I heard someone approach.

"Hey man."

I glanced over and saw Embry walking towards me.

"Hey," I replied, turning to look back out at the water.

"I just stopped by the Uleys to do a checkup on Nate and I heard the news," Embry explained as he came to stand next to me. "Nate said you were headed in this direction last time he saw you. How it's going?"

I shrugged. I couldn't respond any other way. There were no words to describe the emotions inside me. Embry was quiet for a long time, standing with his hands thrust in his pant pockets as he stared at the ocean.

I finally sighed. "Just say what's on your mind."

He half smiled and nodded. "You know that when Rebecca and I conceived our son, she was married to someone else."

"Yeah," I acknowledged. Embry and Rebecca had fought off their feelings for each other as best as they could, but the power of the imprint had been too powerful for them to resist. Fucking imprints.

Embry frowned. "That's not a time in my life I'm proud of. We both hurt a lot of people. When Rebecca found out she was pregnant, she had been convinced that Luke was her husband's."

I forced myself to speak. "But Luke is yours and you got your happy ending. So good for you."

"That's true," Embry said, ignoring my insolent tone. "Did you know though that when I first heard Rebecca was pregnant, I went out to Hawaii to see her?"

That I didn't know.

"I begged her to run away with me," Embry continued. "And she flat out told me no. She said she wanted the 'father' of her baby to raise her son."

"Is that when you went out east to attend medical school?"

"Yeah. But first I pleaded my case. I told her that I would be a father to her baby and help her raise it."

"Even though you didn't think he was yours?"

"Even then," Embry replied. "I loved Rebecca too much. And if Luke had turned out to be Ian's, I would've loved him anyway because he's a part of her."

"So what…" I snapped. "I should just forgive and forget? Gracie got pregnant by that ass because I had just told her she was my imprint. She wanted revenge. That baby symbolizes everything ugly and wrong in our relationship."

"That baby," Embry responded, anger entering his voice, "is an innocent life that doesn't deserve anyone's hatred. What exactly is its crime? That it was conceived? Should Sue Clearwater hate me because I'm the bastard son of Harry? Should people hate Renesmee because she wasn't born under normal circumstances? What exactly has this baby done wrong except exist? You think about that."

He turned and left me to my thoughts.

And for the next few hours I stood on the cliffs thinking over everything Embry had said. But by the time I finally made my way home, I still didn't have any answers.

All I had was my anger.


	25. New Problems, Old Friends

_O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-ey'd monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on._

_William Shakespeare_

_Othello_

**Chapter 25 – New Problems, Old Friends**

_June 13, 2026_

Gracie's POV

I finished drying off from my shower and pulled on a loose fitting top and some jogging shorts, carefully avoiding looking at my body. I didn't need to see myself to know what I looked like these days. My breasts were slightly fuller, my skin softer. I had dark circles under my eyes from the complete and utter exhaustion I continuously felt. And though I didn't have much of a baby bump yet at four months, it was definitely forming. At least the nausea wasn't as bad at it had been. Sometimes I figured if I could just ignore what was happening to me, I could pretend it wasn't real.

It had been two months since I told my family about my pregnancy…since I ruined everyone's lives. It was bad enough discovering I was pregnant right around the time Meena bit Nate. The nausea had been the first clue. Then my period had been late. Praying for a miracle, I'd gone into the pharmacy in Forks and bought a pregnancy test. The result…that fucking plus sign giving me the news I already knew but didn't want to accept.

Telling everyone had been the worst though. I knew I couldn't hide it forever…not around the wolf pack. Ryan especially knew something was wrong, his reactions so closely attuned to mine. He kept telling me I smelled differently. He'd been saying that since before I knew I was pregnant.

My heart ached painfully as I thought of Ryan. He'd been avoiding me the past couple months. I gave him a few weeks of not contacting him, hoping his anger would cool off. It didn't.

Instead, Nate told me Ryan retired from the pack…said there was no point in phasing anymore. Considering my former fear of the wolf pack, that news should have made me happy. Instead, I went into my room and sobbed into my pillow. Because I knew it was a sign that he had finally given up on me. He wasn't going to wait for me anymore to catch up to the age he was frozen at.

I tried going to his house a few times after I heard the news. I even tried calling him. But no matter how hard I tried to communicate with him, I had no success. He had effectively shut me out of his life. More than anything, I feared that he was going to leave and go back to Washington D.C. But for some reason he stayed in La Push, working at Quil and Seth's garage—and from what I heard—spending his nights getting drunk.

As I walked out of the bathroom and headed into my bedroom to slip on my shoes, I wondered not for the first time if I hadn't been stupid calling off the abortion. I had always felt it was a woman's right to decide what she wanted to do with her body. And I certainly wasn't going to judge anyone for making a decision as tough and painful as terminating a pregnancy. But when it boiled down to it, I found _I_ couldn't do it.

I had gotten as far as the front door of the clinic when I saw a mother and her little baby walking across the street. The baby had glanced over at me, and I'd been positive the little fucker was judging me. I ended up bursting into tears right then and there.

My mom, who'd come with me, wrapped her arms around me and said, "Gracie, you don't have to do this, you know."

"I'm just…I'm not ready to be a mother," I whispered painfully. "But I can't…I can't—"

My mom grabbed my hand and led me to a nearby bench where we sat down. "If you want to go through with the pregnancy, we'll support you. You'll have to get a job—"

"I know," I agreed, sniffing miserably. "I guess I'll have to drop out of school and start looking for one."

"Absolutely not," my mother replied. "You're going to finish getting your diploma. You're going to need it. Your father and I will help with the baby while you're completing your education."

"Mom," I murmured. "It's such a burden for you guys."

"We're a family," my mother stated. "And this baby is a part of that now."

And with those words, my mom had gone into the clinic and cancelled my appointment. Returning home, I never expected Ryan to be there waiting for me. The look of betrayal on his face when he realized I hadn't terminated the pregnancy was one I knew I'd live with for the rest of my life.

As I'd watched him walk away, I wondered if it was possible to break an imprint. I had pushed and pushed Ryan for years. This was just one more problem I threw on his lap…one that he didn't deserve. And one that was too big to ignore.

The thing was, before I found out about the baby, my life was finally starting to click. Ryan and I had tentatively started dating. I was flourishing at school. I was accepting responsibility for my actions of the past, and I finally was beginning to feel pride in myself. In other words…I was getting my shit together. And Ryan was the best part about it. We'd grown so close. Then the pregnancy happened.

Why couldn't I ever get anything right?

Now I was bringing a kid into this world. Me! The world's biggest fuck up.

"Yeah, your mom's a real winner, kid," I whispered as I touched the round bump on my body. "Former drug user…pregnant teen…" I sniffed. "I don't even have a diploma yet. How am I supposed to support you?"

I could feel the panic setting in, and I took a deep breath to calm myself. Now was not the time to have a meltdown. My parents and I were leaving in a couple of hours for the Makah rez. Nate and Meena were getting married today.

Everyone was going to be there. My maternal grandparents and Grandma Uley. Claire's parents and my cousins, Nick and Cora. Ryan. And…Gabe.

I hadn't seen him since New Year's. At one time, he'd been my best friend. We still kept in touch, though it wasn't as frequent now that he was living with some vampire in Alaska. When he saw me, would he have the same disappointed look on his face that everyone else wore around me these days?

Given the hostility the pack—in other words, Ryan—felt towards Gabe, it was decided to not have a dress rehearsal. Nate and Meena were trying to keep Gabe and I separated for as long as possible. I was going to be paired up in the wedding party with Paul and Rachel's son, Devlin. Meena wanted her grandma Bella to serve as her matron of honor, so Gabe was going to walk with her. Nate had wanted Claire in the wedding as she was like a sister to us, but she was eight months pregnant with her second child and Quil nixed the idea.

I already had my bag for the weekend packed as we were staying overnight at my Grandma and Grandpa Young's house. Instead of pacing my room for the next couple of hours, I decided to go out for awhile. Walking down the stairs, I went into the living room where my dad was sitting, listlessly watching TV.

"Dad, can I borrow your car?"

"Where are you going?" he asked, instantly suspicious.

"Nowhere near Zack if that's what you're wondering," I remarked bitterly. As far as I was concerned, Zack Murray could drop off a La Push cliff and drown. It still pissed me off that he accused me of lying about him being the father of the baby. Like I'd claim that asshole as the father if it weren't true.

My dad continued to stare at the TV. He hadn't said much to me since learning that I planned on keeping the baby and I hated the awkwardness between us. He finally sighed and reached in his pant pocket for his truck keys. "Be home in an hour. Your mom wants to be on the road by then."

"Fine," I said, grabbing the keys out of his hand and heading outdoors. I hopped in his truck and began driving with no idea where I was going.

I wasn't surprised when I ended up parked outside of Quil and Seth's garage. Azra came out of the building with a rag in his hands, using it to wipe grease off his skin. His face changed from welcome to caution when he saw it was me. With his expression shifting to concern, he glanced back at the garage. So that meant Ryan was there.

"He's here, right?" I asked as I got out of the truck.

Azra paused and then nodded toward one of the open bay doors. He turned without another word and headed for the garage's office. Straightening my shoulders, I went in through the large door and stopped when I saw Ryan.

He was bent over a car, working on an engine with steady firm hands. I didn't have to announce myself. His body stiffened briefly before he continued on his task, but I knew he was aware that I was there.

"Hello Ryan," I said, unsure what else to say.

"I thought you'd be up in Makah," he muttered as he continued to work.

I walked closer to him. "We're leaving in a little bit."

"Hmm," he grunted as he continued to ignore me.

I finally begged, "Ryan, please look at me."

He didn't. He stepped away from the engine and started to walk away.

"Are you going to ignore me forever?" I shouted.

He froze, his back to me. "What do you want from me, Gracie?"

"I want you to forgive me," I whispered, moving up to him until there were mere inches separating us. "I want you to lov—to not hate me anymore."

He stared at the garage floor, his body rigid with tension. Finally, he said in a voice so low I could barely hear him, "I _do_ love you." Then he turned and looked at me…and I wished he hadn't. Especially when he said, "I just can't look at you anymore."

He turned back around and went inside the office, the door shutting behind him with a finality I didn't want to accept. I reached up and wiped away the tears that had begun to trickle down my cheeks. I stumbled to my dad's truck and was about to get in when I felt a restraining hand on my arm. I swiveled around, hoping against hope that Ryan had come after me. Instead, Azra was in front of me, staring at me with troubled eyes.

"Are you all right to drive home?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," I said.

He nodded and went back into the garage. Feeling miserable and alone, I made my way slowly to my house. When I walked inside, my dad was still sitting in his favorite chair.

"Here," I said, giving him the keys. He took them without a word to me and something finally broke inside me.

"I know, Dad! I'm a horrible person. I screwed up. Everyone hates me now. You hate me and Mom hates me and R-Ryan hates me. Don't you think I don't know that? I'm…" I was starting to get hysterical. "I'm just—sorry, okay? I'm r-really, _really _sorry."

I covered my face with my hands and started bawling, unable to hold back my pain anymore. I felt an arm around my waist and then I was sitting on my dad's lap. He tucked my head under his chin and held me like he used to when I was a little girl, and I clung to him, crying out my heartache into his neck.

I felt my dad's soothing hand run over my hair as he said, "I don't hate you, Gracie. Neither does your mom. We're just disappointed—"

"I know!" I said, sobbing even harder.

"No, you misunderstand. You're only seventeen. Your whole life is about to change and there's still so much we wanted you to have. You should be worrying about which colleges to apply to, whether or not you're getting a zit—you know, normal stuff every other teenager is doing right now…not worrying about a baby."

"Dad, I'm so scared," I confessed.

I heard him chuckle softly in response. "What parent isn't? But you have us and we'll never abandon you, Gracie, no matter what. And you have Ryan…"

"No, I don't," I replied, getting teary again. "I just went to see him. He won't even look at me."

"You do have him," my father insisted. "Ryan's hurting…give him time."

I sniffed and looked my dad in the eye. "But what if he doesn't forgive me?"

"He loves you. He has since you were a little kid. When you love someone that long, it's very hard to turn off the emotion, no matter how you're currently feeling. Once he remembers that, he'll be there for you."

I nodded and hugged my father. "Thank you, Dad."

He kissed my forehead and then helped me up from the chair. "Go wash your face. I hear your mom coming up the driveway, and you'll freak her out if she sees how blotchy you look."

I let out a little laugh and made my way upstairs, going into the bathroom to wash my tearstained skin. I heard my mom come into the house, and she and my dad started talking softly. I went to my room and sat on my bed, feeling slightly numb.

"Gracie," she called some time later. "We need to get going."

"Be right down," I said and grabbed my overnight bag. I walked down the stairs as my mom came into the hallway.

"We're going to drop you off at Ronnie's house when we get to the rez," she said, mentioning her brother as she searched for something in her purse. "Meena and the Cullens will be there getting ready—" She finally looked at me and stopped talking. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with her, Em," my dad said, carrying a suitcase as he came down the stairs behind me. "Remember how emotional you were when you were pregnant?"

"True," she replied, still staring at me in concern. "Is that all though? You're feeling okay."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine. Can we please just get going?"

"All right," she said, her face turning to excitement. "Let's get this show on the road. I don't want to be late for my only son's wedding."

It took us an hour to get to the Makah rez. My parents dropped me off at my Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Stacy's house before they headed to my grandparents' home. I knocked tentatively on the door and Claire answered it.

"Hey Gracie," she said, giving me an awkward hug, our pregnant bellies touching briefly. She pulled away and laughed. "I guess we'll have to get used to that for the next couple of weeks until my little one arrives. Come on in."

"Where's Kayley?" I asked, looking around expectantly for Claire's daughter.

"Where else? She's with Brady," Claire replied with a smirk as she mentioned her child's imprinter. "Quil and the rest of the family are at Grandma and Grandpa's."

"Are Cora and Nick coming to the wedding?" I asked about Claire's brother and sister.

"Yep," she answered. "Cora's at a hotel with her husband. And I'm sure Nick is nursing the mother of all hangovers right now. You know Nate had his bachelor party last night, right? If alcohol was involved, Nick probably would have felt obligated to keep up with the wolves. He's probably sick, and it serves him right for drinking underage."

We walked into the living room and I saw Claire's best friends, Lindsey, Amber, and Ashley sitting around. Claire had known them since she was in elementary school. When I was younger and Claire had lived with us, I had nicknamed her friends the Makah Clique. The girls would come down to La Push and hang out with each other all the time.

Quil and Collin had always been in the background somewhere. Of course, I didn't know at the time that Quil had imprinted on Claire and Collin on Lindsey. I looked at Lindsey now who was just as pregnant as Claire. She seemed to glow with her contentment and I envied her that. Ashley looked…well, she looked like she always did. Pissed off. I never understood what her deal was, but she had a tendency to come across as a miserable human being. And Amber…she was her usual self. Smiling, but I thought she looked kind of pale.

"Hey Gracie," Lindsey said, rubbing her round belly. "I'd get up and hug you, but it's too much of a pain in the ass to move."

I smiled at her. The Makah girls complemented each other perfectly. Claire was a sweetheart like Quil. Lindsey had Collin's sense of humor. Ashley, her anger. And Amber, her gentleness.

"It's okay," I replied as I went over and gave Lindsey a hug. "I can still move around."

"For now," Ashley sneered. I ignored her.

"What's this?" a high-pitched musical voice asked. "No time for socializing!"

I glanced over and saw Alice Cullen standing in the doorway. I had only met her a couple of times when I used to hang out with Gabe, but she always seemed a force to be reckoned with.

"You," she said, pointing at me. "In the back. We've got hair and makeup to do. It looks like you haven't slept in ages." She made a tsking noise as she added, "And we're going to have our work cut out for us."

"Good luck," Claire said with a light laugh.

I gave her a dirty look and went down the hallway with Alice following behind me. Jacob Black and Edward Cullen were standing outside my aunt and uncle's bedroom door, talking casually.

"Hey Gracie," Jacob said as soon as he saw me. He came over and gave me a hug.

"Hi," I replied. "I thought you'd be hanging out with the other guys right now."

"Nah, gotta play father of the bride today. I was told by the shrimp—" I heard Alice cough behind me—"that I wasn't to leave my daughter's side today. Besides, Quil and Sam weren't too crazy about having their family members in a house full of vampires, so I said I'd play guard in case anyone went on a feeding frenzy."

Edward rolled his eyes and Alice huffed indignantly. "Stupid wolves," I heard her mutter. "Enough talking. We've only got a few hours to get this girl ready."

"Is it going to take that long?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Yes," Jacob and Edward replied simultaneously.

"Come on, come on," Alice said, placing an arm around my waist and all but shoving me through the door. I entered my aunt and uncle's bedroom. I heard Meena's voice coming from the master bedroom. She was speaking with someone I didn't recognize.

"Gracie, you remember Esme, Bella, and Rosalie, right?" Alice asked.

Rosalie was currently doing Bella's hair. She looked at my pregnant form and seemed to wince. Bella and Esme said hello and I returned their greeting.

"Meena," Alice called out. "Gracie is here."

Meena came out of the bathroom with her mom. She was wearing a silk robe and was waving her one hand around. I could smell the wet nail polish she was wearing and my stomach turned slightly at the scent. Another woman came out after them. She had strawberry blond hair and flawless features. I had never met her before, but she screamed vampire to me. I suddenly felt self-conscious, surrounded by these supernaturally beautiful women.

"Gracie, hey," Meena said with a happy smile. "You made it okay? The drive wasn't too bad, was it?"

"No, it was fine," I replied, slightly taken aback. Meena and I weren't friendly on a good day. I guess the fact that she was about to marry my brother softened her attitude towards me.

"Have you ever met Tanya?" she asked, nodding to the woman behind her.

So this was Gabe's girlfriend. She gave me a cool smile, and I understood in that one look that Tanya knew I was the reason Gabe had been banished from La Push.

"How do you do?" she said coolly, her voice faintly accented.

"Do you want to kill me now or later?" I asked bluntly. Her face softened slightly.

"You've got spirit. I can see why Gabe is so fond of you," Tanya replied. "Now Meena, time to finish getting ready."

They disappeared back into the bathroom. Esme grabbed my hand and sat me down on my relatives' bed.

"Makeup first," she said, grabbing some foundation off the nearby dresser.

And for the next few hours, I got prepped for the wedding. My hair was put into large curls, the sides pinned back so it was away from my face. A silvery blue eyeshadow was applied to my eyelids. The conversation remained light the entire time I was getting ready. Not a single one of them asked me about my pregnancy and I was grateful for that.

When it was time for me to put on my dress, Alice came over and helped me into it. Her hand brushed my baby bump and she froze, her eyes going blank.

"Oh…" she muttered before a smile formed on her face.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She looked down at my belly and nodded. "Yeah…everything's fine." Zipping me up, she added, "I'm going to take you over to the bay in a little bit and walk you through the ceremony since we didn't have a dress rehearsal."

"Okay," I replied, my hands running over the soft folds of my baby blue dress. It was absolutely gorgeous with a sweetheart strapless neckline. The dress was pleated, the skirt falling to my knees. It had a lace underskirt that peeked out from the dress and emphasized the shape of my legs. As we were going to be on the beach, it was paired with silver sandals. The dress fit perfectly, though it showed off my belly in a way that made me self-conscious.

"You look beautiful," Alice assured me. Meena came out of the bathroom at that moment and I felt an emotional lump form in my throat. She and I may have had our differences in the past, but she was marrying my brother. Looking at her stunning features, I knew Nate was going to burst with pride when he saw her.

Meena's hair had been pinned up with a veil attached to the back of it. Her makeup was subtle and perfect. She stepped into her gown and the ladies in the room turned emotional. The dress was a ball gown with the same sweetheart bodice that I had on my dress. A large metallic floral detail was pinned to her waist, making her tiny frame look even smaller.

"Well…how do I look?" she asked nervously.

Renesmee sniffed and said, "Oh sweetie."

"I think my brother's going to have a hard time keeping his hands off you," I told her. Meena giggled, looking ethereal.

"You look stunning," Alice agreed, her face filled with satisfaction. Rubbing her hands together gleefully, she said, "All right, now that everything is set here, I'm going to take Gracie over to the beach."

They nodded and we left the room. Jake and Edward were now in the living room. The Makah Clique were gone.

"Where'd Claire go?" I asked.

"Quil and Collin came to get their wives an hour ago and the other two went with them," Jacob explained before he paused. "You look great, Gracie."

"Thanks," I replied. "Blame Alice."

They chuckled in response and I was shepherded out the door by the petite vampire. We made our way to the beach.

"The reception is going to be held in the boathouse on the rez's marina," she explained as we drove. "The wedding is going to take place on the nearby beach."

We pulled into a parking lot and I saw an altar had been set up on the sandy shore, along with several rows of white chairs. We got out of the car and Alice took me through a quick rundown of the ceremony.

"Any questions?" she asked.

"Does everyone else know what's going on?" I wondered aloud, my mind briefly on Gabe.

"Yep, I took them through everything last night," she replied. "I'm going to take you to the boathouse now. You'll wait there until the wedding starts."

We entered the building just as Meena and the others arrived. The air was filled with anticipation as I heard Meena and her family members talking excitedly. I went over to the window in the room and watched the guests arrive. My heart jolted when I saw Ryan appear with Azra.

Ryan was looking particularly gorgeous in a beige suit and white open-collared, button down shirt. Azra pointed to a couple of seats by Seth Clearwater and his girlfriend, Hayley. Seth waved at them and Ryan sat down next to him with Azra on his other side. Azra caught my attention when I saw him glance around and freeze as his gaze landed on Quil and Claire. His expression turned momentarily pained before he quickly looked away. What was that about?

The music changed and Nate walked over from the parking lot followed by Devlin and Gabe. A smile appeared on my face as I stared at my friend. Gabe looked fantastic, yet different. His face had matured, his body more defined. He no longer resembled the bitter teen that left La Push and instead looked like a confident man.

I glanced at Nate and my grin grew. He looked so excited, like all his dreams were about to come true. I knew how long he'd wanted this day to happen, and I was so happy for him.

"It's time," Alice said, popping her head into the room. She handed me a bouquet of blue wildflowers and white roses.

I took a nervous breath and walked out first. I made my way across the walkway that led to the beach, and then headed down the makeshift aisle. I kept my eyes firmly on the ground as I moved. I felt everyone's eyes on me—judging me—and I wanted to run away, but I kept my expression blank. When I finally took my place at the altar, I looked up. The first face I saw was Gabe's.

His gaze ran over me, taking in the different changes on my body, his eyes lingering briefly on my rounded stomach. And then he met my eyes. His lips formed into a slight smile and he gave me a little wink. I felt an answering smile appear on my face. That was just the way it was between us…easy and unthreatening.

I heard a slight commotion and looked over in time to see Ryan half rise out of his chair, his face deadly as he stared at Gabe. Azra and Seth calmly reached out and grabbed his arms, hauling him back in his seat. I kept my face averted from everyone after that, even as the ceremony began and Nate and Meena exchanged vows. After a short time, they were pronounced man and wife and the witnesses broke out into applause.

After exchanging a tender kiss, they walked down the aisle. Bella and Gabe followed. Devlin offered me his arm and we walked behind the others. Being Nate's ever conscientious beta, Dev maneuvered me so that Gabe and I were standing nowhere near each other as we greeted guests. I wasn't sure if I was annoyed or not, but as Ryan bypassed me to congratulate the bride and groom, I decided it was probably best if I avoided all confrontation.

The guests moved to the boathouse where food was waiting for us. I mingled, catching up with my different family members. Dinner was soon served buffet style. I got up to get my food, but I didn't really have an appetite. I ended up grabbing a tiny piece of chicken and a couple of small potatoes. As everyone began to eat around me, I picked at my food.

I felt eyes on me and looked up in that direction. My gaze immediately landed on Ryan, but he was talking to Claire's friend, Amber, who was seated next to him. I frowned and returned to pushing my food around my plate.

After toasts were done and dancing began, I made my way to the bathroom. The larger the baby got inside me, the more I found I had to pee. After I was through, I made my way back to my table. It had been abandoned by then. Meena and Nate were visiting their different guests, Bella was now sitting with Edward at a different table, Gabe and Tanya were slow dancing/groping each other on the dance floor, and Devlin was with his imprint, Hanna.

Hanna was Jared and Kim's daughter…the one currently not having sex with Seth Clearwater. The lucky girl was rarely in La Push. She'd been attending some school for the arts in Michigan the past couple of years, and she was off to Julliard when school started in the fall. Hanna was the pride of the rez. She was a concert pianist and was gaining a national reputation. I was pretty sure she didn't know that Devlin had imprinted on her. She seemed oblivious to the fact that Devlin was staring at her like she was his entire world.

Luckily for him, Hanna was back for the summer, so at least Devlin would get to spend some time with her before she left for school. As I sat down at my table, I noticed there was a plate filled with healthy food in front of me. I frowned at it. Who the hell got that for me? I felt eyes on me again and carefully tried to see if it was Ryan staring at me, but when I looked over at him, he was still talking to Amber, laughing at something she said.

I took my fork and stabbed some green beans, shoving them in my mouth and chewing them until they were liquefied. Deciding it was better to ignore Ryan as he was ignoring me, I began to people watch. Seeing as I was at the head table, which was separated from everyone else, I had a view of pretty much everyone. My parents were talking with Jacob and Renesmee, their faces relaxed and happy. Brady had my cousin Kayley in his arms. He was spinning her in circles on the dance floor much to her childish delight.

Collin and Lindsey were also on the dance floor. Collin had his arms loosely around his imprint's waist. It should have been awkward for them to dance given that Lindsey was eight months pregnant, but they still seemed to fit perfectly against each other. Lindsey was hunched over in a way that allowed her to rest her head on her husband's chest, her face nuzzled into his neck. Collin was rubbing his jaw back and forth against her hair, but I saw him glance over at Amber and Ryan several times, a frown always on his face when he did.

My brow furrowed in confusion. I knew women were blurry to imprinted wolves unless they were an imprintee or the child of a wolf. Yet Collin was looking at Amber in a way that said he saw her crystal clear…and he didn't like what he was seeing.

"And now, the bride and groom will have their first official dance," the hired DJ announced and the dance floor cleared off.

The opening melody of Miley Cyrus's "When I Look At You" began to play. To my amusement, Nate looked pained and slightly embarrassed upon hearing the music choice…that was, until Meena walked into his arms. And then a contented smile appeared on his face. As they danced, I saw Devlin and Seth walking towards me, their faces diabolical.

"I can't believe they chose Miley Cyrus for their song," Seth said with a snicker. "That music wasn't cool fifteen years ago, let alone now."

"So we're going to give him shit for this, right?" Devlin asked.

"Oh yeah…we're definitely going to give him shit," Seth replied with an evil grin just as they stopped next to me.

"Now…" the DJ said. "If we could have the rest of the wedding party join the bride and groom on the dance floor."

Devlin looked at me and then blushed. "I guess we're supposed to dance."

"You? Dance to Miley?" I remarked teasingly. His face turned even redder.

Seth snorted. "Yeah Dev…go rock out, man."

"Shut it, Clearwater," Devlin muttered as he held out his hand to me.

I bit my lip, my humor disappearing. I had planned on being invisible all night. I noticed Gabe and Bella were moving around the dance floor, chatting away. Jeez, it was hard to remember she was his grandmother, given how young she looked.

"C'mon Gracie," Devlin said. "If anyone should be nervous dancing in front of people, it's me. Ryan's in the room, after all."

I glanced over at Ryan. He now had an arm casually around the back of Amber's chair. Although Amber was a sweet person, in that moment, I wanted to rip her hair out. Defiance filled me. Fuck it. Half the room probably assumed I was a slut anyway. Who gave a shit what they thought of me being pregnant. I stood up and smoothed my dress over my belly.

"Let's do this," I said, putting my hand firmly in Devlin's. He gave me an approving smile and led me out onto the dance floor.

"So I guess this mean's we're family now," he remarked as we started to dance.

"How do you mean?" I asked distractedly, trying very hard not to notice Ryan, who was now paying attention to me. In fact, he was watching me like a hawk. Tension surrounded me, making my neck ache with it.

"Meena's my cousin and she married your brother," Devlin explained. "I guess that makes us cousins-in-law."

I let out a little laugh. "Uh…welcome to the family?"

"Thanks," he replied, grinning at me and my heart warmed. Devlin didn't seem to care at all about my situation. He was just having a good time. He kind of reminded me of Gabe in that regard. Completely laid back. I guessed it was a Black thing.

As we moved around the dance floor, the lyrics of the song began to seep into my clouded brain.

_When I look at you,  
I see forgiveness,  
I see the truth.  
You love me for who I am,  
Like the stars hold the moon,  
Right there where they belong.  
And I know I'm not alone.  
_

My eyes started to tear up. I glanced at Ryan and met his heated stare.

_Yeah when my world is falling apart,  
When there's no light to break up the dark,  
That's when I, I, I look at you._

Ryan deliberately turned his head away and smiled at Amber. I sucked in a pain-filled breath as I felt his rejection like an invisible hand smacking my skin.

"You okay, Gracie?" Devlin asked, instantly concerned.

"I'm fine," I replied shakily. Thankfully the song was coming to an end. Dev walked me to my table and hurried back over to Hanna. I sat down wearily.

"Hi kiddo," a female voice said, startling me. Leah Clearwater-Gordon pulled out the chair next to me and sat down.

"Hi," I replied before looking past my godmother. "Your family didn't come with you?"

"Dylan's here," she said, nodding to where her husband was talking to Quil and Embry. "Lilly's at soccer camp in Oregon right now, so we decided to leave the boys with Dylan's sister and have a weekend getaway."

Leah's face was so serene as she mentioned her children, I wondered if I'd ever feel that way about the baby inside me.

"What's that look for?" Leah asked.

I frowned as I stared at the table in front of me. "Did you hear…?"

"About the pregnancy? Yeah."

I shrugged. "You just look so happy and proud when you talk about your kids. I feel this strange sort of detachment right now."

"Give it time," Leah responded, putting a comforting hand on my arm. "Once you hold that baby for the first time, you'll feel differently."

"Sorry to interrupt," Dylan said as he came over to us. "But sweetie, do you want to dance?"

His voice took on a husky tone and Leah's eyes kindled in return. "Definitely." Before she got up, she turned to me. "Don't let anybody give you shit for what happened, got it?"

I gave her a wobbly smile and nodded.

"And if you need to talk or vent or whatever, you'll call me, all right?"

"I will," I said. "Thanks Leah."

She gave me a hug and got up, wrapping her arm around her husband's waist as they made their way out to the dance floor. I noticed Ryan was now dancing with Amber, their bodies pressed close together. I watched him whisper something in her ear. She nodded at whatever he said and they left the floor, disappearing down a hall that I knew led outside.

I tried very hard not to let my jealousy get to me…but what the fuck? Seriously! I wanted to go punch the bitch in the face. I wanted to scream at Ryan for treating me like yesterday's trash.

"Hey." I looked up and saw Gabe standing next to me, a warm smile on his face. "Long time no talk, huh?"

"Yeah," I acknowledged, happiness replacing the anger in my heart. It had been so long since I saw my friend. Until this moment, I didn't realize how much I missed him.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked politely.

"Sure," I said, grinning back. "Though I didn't think we were supposed to communicate tonight."

He pulled out the chair next to me and sat down. "Which is why I'm not going to hug you. I don't want to start a riot."

"Doubt anyone would care," I stated bitterly. Changing the subject, I said, "Your girlfriend is gorgeous, by the way. I met her earlier when I was getting ready."

"Yeah, she is," Gabe said as he looked across the room to where Tanya was sitting. He had an expression on his face I didn't recognize from my old friend. It was sensual and tender and filled with masculine pride. I glanced at Tanya, who was talking to a man with dark coloring. The man was incredibly handsome to the point of being inhuman.

"Who's that guy talking to your girlfriend?"

Gabe pulled his eyes off Tanya to look at the man next to her. He gave a slight shrug. "His name's Nahuel."

"Is he a vampire?"

"He's half vampire, like my mom."

I looked at him in surprise. "I thought Renesmee was a bit of an anomaly."

"There aren't a ton of them out in the world, but there are other half-breeds in existence. Nahuel has a few sisters that live in South America. He and our Denali cousin, Eleazar, have set up a global network for them…kind of like a support group. Eleazar's doing research on the powers they possess."

I looked over at Renesmee who was now slow dancing with Jacob. When Jacob wasn't looking adoringly at his wife, he was glaring at Nahuel. I also noticed he kept shielding Ness from the other man's view…not that Nahuel was paying attention.

"Does your dad not like him?" I asked curiously.

Gabe chuckled. "Yeah, they get a long well enough." I felt Gabe's eyes on me, and I crossed my arms over my stomach self-consciously.

"You want to get out of here?" he asked suddenly.

I looked at him and saw him smiling at me again, giving me that same familiar grin that I'd missed seeing so much. I felt myself relax for the first time all day. "Yes please."

He stood up and looked across the room. Tanya immediately glanced over at us. He pointed at me and nodded towards the door. She gave him a smile and returned to her conversation with Nahuel. Gabe grabbed my hand and led me outside into the night air. I could feel eyes on us as we left, but I didn't care at that point. I needed to escape. My mind and body were literally aching from Ryan's behavior towards me. We walked to the nearby beach, the area lit by the lights from the boathouse and marina.

"Now then…" Gabe said before leaning in and hugging me close. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him back.

"I've missed you so freaking much," I murmured against his chest.

I felt his lips brush against my hair. "I've missed you too, Gracie."

"I'm so sorry for everything," I said. "For what happened on New Year's and for the fact that the pack won't let you come back to La Push…"

Gabe moved so he could cup my cheeks with his hands. "I've already told you on the phone. Don't worry about that. I'm happy where I am. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I don't want you to apologize anymore. What happened on New Year's was both of our faults."

I sighed. "Apologizing seems to be the only thing I'm good at lately."

Gabe frowned as he looked at me. "I don't like your aura. It's been black all day. How goes it, Gracie?"

"I…" And then I started to cry. My hands flew up to my face and I sobbed out my heartache.

"Hey," Gabe said softly, cradling me against him. I felt his lips brush my hair again. "It's okay."

"It's not though…it's really not," I struggled to say. "I've fucked up so bad."

"You mean the baby or Ryan?"

I pulled back to look at him. There wasn't any judgment on his face, just openness and acceptance.

"I hurt him," I whispered. "I hurt him so much and now he won't even look at me."

Gabe chuckled. "Trust me, he knows you're there. While you've been moping inside, looking tragic and beautiful, his eyes have been glued on you. It's been more entertaining to watch than television."

"He won't forgive me," I said painfully.

"If he loves you he will," Gabe replied. "And if he doesn't, he's not worth it."

"But he is," I responded, feeling depressed all over again.

"Gracie, can I be frank with you?" When I nodded, he said, "I think you've got something more important to worry about than your love life."

"And what's that?" I asked despondently.

"Your baby," Gabe replied softly. He reached out and placed his hand over my stomach. I gasped as I felt a fluttering in response. It was the first time I'd ever really felt the baby move.

"Oh God," I whispered. "Did you feel that?"

Gabe was staring at my stomach in fascination. "There's a life in there, Gracie. And that baby needs you. Promise me you'll remember that."

His eyes remained glued on my stomach, and I felt my heart soften. "You'll make a good father someday, you know that?"

Gabe finally pulled his gaze away from my rounded middle and dropped his hand from me, giving me a sad smile.

"Tanya can't have kids so I'll have to live vicariously through you and any children Nate and Meena have." He took a step back and smirked as his eyes wandered over me. "Well, at least your aura's better. It's more dark yellow than black now."

I giggled and gave him another hug. Just then, an angry roar filled the air and Ryan came flying out of nowhere. Gabe sent me a worried look and jumped backwards to get away from me just as Ryan attacked him. They both hit the sand and Ryan quickly pinned him down, his forearm pressing against Gabe's neck.

"Ryan! Stop it!" I yelled.

I heard people approaching. I turned for help and saw Gabe's Uncle Emmett running over to us along with Azra, Brady, Devlin…and Tanya. Her face went wild when she saw the situation and she lunged for Ryan. Emmett grabbed her before she could make contact. Though Ryan was in human form and choking Gabe, his eyes suddenly locked on Tanya…the wolf inside him reacting to his natural enemy. A growl erupted from him, feral and threatening.

And suddenly Gabe was on top of Ryan, holding his body forcibly to the ground.

"You don't touch her," Gabe snarled in a voice that sounded layered. Ryan tried to get Gabe off of him, but Gabe being an Alpha wolf with vampire blood was too powerful. Ryan began to shake hard.

Brady and Azra took a step forward, but Devlin held out his hand and said, "Wait."

"You gonna phase in front of her?" Gabe asked, nodding in my direction without taking his eyes off Ryan.

Ryan's chest was rising and falling hard on each rapid breath he took, but his trembling slowed down.

"You're pissed," Gabe said. "We get it. And I know you probably won't give a shit right now, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I flirted with Gracie when I knew she was your imprint. I'm sorry I ever touched her. I'm sorry I hurt her…God you have no idea how sorry I am about that. It was a mistake. I wish I could take it all back but I can't. And you have absolutely every right to be pissed at me. But her? Try to remember something while you're living in your self-righteous anger. You left her. What was she supposed to do? Not live her life? She moved on and you have no fucking right to be angry with her for that."

Ryan's body went lax and he looked so pained my eyes began to fill with tears.

"Gabe, don't," I whispered, but neither man acknowledged that they heard me.

"Get off me," Ryan finally said.

Gabe slowly let him go and moved away from him. "We all make mistakes," Gabe added. "But some people are worth forgiving."

"You?" Ryan sneered and my sorrow disappeared and was replaced with a slow burning anger.

Gabe also glowered at him. "If you think I'm talking about me, then you're an even bigger idiot than I thought you were."

With that, Gabe stood up and brushed the sand off his clothes. He walked over to Tanya and took her hand in his, lifting it to his mouth to kiss her palm.

"You okay?" he murmured.

"Give me five minutes alone with the wolf. That's all I want," she threatened.

"I've got a better way for you to use your time," Gabe replied suggestively and Tanya's expression immediately changed to desire.

"On that note," Emmett said with a chuckle. "I'm out of here."

He walked back to the reception area with Brady. Gabe and Tanya headed into the nearby woods, his hand moving in circles on her lower back. Azra and Devlin lingered behind.

"Go," I told them. They looked at Ryan then back at me. Whatever expression was on my face convinced them to get out of there and fast.

I turned back to Ryan, my hands clenched at my sides. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Ryan got up from the sand and slowly brushed his clothes off, then calmly took a step towards the boathouse. I ran over and blocked his path.

"You don't get to decide who I hang out with," I snapped, jabbing his chest with my index finger. "You don't get to act like you give a damn about me when you clearly don't. And you certainly don't get to be pissed because I was talking to a friend while you were off fucking Amber."

"What are you talking about?" Ryan said, finally looking at me. "I wasn't fucking anyone tonight."

"Whatever," I replied, swiveling around so I could go back to the reception.

He grabbed my arm and made me look at him. "Amber was upset about something so I offered to take her for a walk. I thought some fresh air would help her."

"Kind of like Gabe did for me. Only ours was a platonic catching up between friends."

"I'm not going to tell you again," Ryan said through clenched teeth. "Nothing happened."

"It sucks when your faith in someone is shaken, doesn't it?" I snapped.

"Yes," he replied coldly. "It does."

And suddenly I was tired. I was so exhausted I could barely stand. In a quiet voice, I said, "You know what? Think whatever you want of me. Be pissed and act like I fucking destroyed your life because I had sex with someone before we were even dating. I'm done with this shit. My life isn't about you and me anymore. It's not even about me, period."

I turned from him and added, "My baby…that's all that matters now."

I walked away from him with my head held high, finally ready to accept the next chapter in my life.

xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

Special thanks to BringUsAngels for suggesting "When I Look At You" for Nate and Meena's song. The lyrics really are perfect for them.

I know some of you are wondering if the story is coming to an end now that Nate and Meena are married. I have about 37 chapters planned for Stormy so we have a little ways to go (and my goal is to get this fic finished this summer). I still have a few storylines to wrap up, plus I have some more in store for Nate and Meena.

Also, thank you very much for the comments on the previous chapter. I replied to everyone's reviews so if you didn't hear from me it's because you have your PMs disabled and the site wouldn't let me respond.

Regarding this chapter, right now I have a family member in the hospital, and I'm currently dealing with that. I probably won't have time to answer all my reviews, but I'd love to hear what you thought. :)


	26. Just You And Me

_Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!_

_For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night._

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo & Juliet_

**Chapter 26 – Just You and Me**

_June 13, 2026 – June 21, 2026_

Nate's POV

I held Meena in my arms as we swayed to the music at our reception. The day had been perfect so far. The weather had cooperated. There hadn't been a breakout of imprinting or fighting—though I'd have to be blind and stupid not to notice how Ryan had been staring at Gabe all day…like he wanted to rip his throat out or something. But Ryan had been behaving so far.

And then there was Meena.

She was so beautiful, she literally took my breath away every time I looked at her. And she was mine now, by law and every other way. The wolf inside me groaned its contentment.

We were going to be leaving for our honeymoon soon, and I was nervous and excited over that. Excited, because for a whole week, it was going to be just Meena and me. No pack duties to worry about. No family drama. Just me and my imprint, basking in each other's presence.

And nervous, because as much as Meena and I had messed around since we'd started dating, we'd never actually done the deed. Hell, we hadn't even seen each other fully naked yet.

The guys had given me all kinds of advice at my bachelor party the night before…

"Take it nice and slow…and don't forget the syrup…" was Emmett's advice.

"One word…blindfold…" Seth had said—not very reassuring.

Quil's input was the following, "Hey, the first time Claire and I had sex, it wasn't great. I hadn't had sex in over fourteen years at that point and I friggin' lost control. But the next time we did it, it was fucking phenomenal—"

At which point I cut him off with, "Ew, please don't talk about my cousin and sex in the same sentence ever again."

But hell, it wasn't like I hadn't spent enough time over the past few years fantasizing about having sex with Meena in every way imaginable. In fact, I had put an almost embarrassing amount of thought into it. So yeah…I was more nervous now than I'd been leading up to my wedding. However, I kept reminding myself that we were imprints. Something was bound to click for us, and all the experimenting we'd done before this day had been amazing.

As I spun Meena around the dance floor, I noticed Gabe sit down next to my sister. Gracie had been putting up a brave front all day, but I could tell she was miserable. For the first time all evening, I saw some of the rigidness leave her shoulders and a natural smile appeared on her face.

Which of course made me internally curse and scan the room for Ryan. I knew he'd stepped out awhile ago with Amber Tanner. She'd been looking ill for most of the day, and the few times I'd overheard them talking, he'd been trying to find out what was wrong with her so he could help. If he walked back in the room now, we'd have World War III on our hands.

Shortly after that thought entered my mind, Gabe and Gracie stood up from their table and walked outside. I brought Meena close to me so she wouldn't see my jaw clench. My eyes ran over the crowd until I saw Devlin. He was watching Gabe and Gracie leave with a frown on his face. Feeling my gaze on him, he glanced over at me. I looked at the door Gracie had just disappeared through and then back at him.

He nodded and whispered something to his imprint Hanna. She smiled at him, causing him to look momentarily dazed before he got up from his table and made his way out the door after Gracie and Gabe. As he left, he passed a table of Meena's relatives. Tanya and Emmett both looked suspiciously at my beta and followed him. Two seconds later, two of my other pack members, Azra and Brady, stood up from their tables simultaneously and went in the direction of the vampires. If something was about to go down, my pack was ready.

"Do you want to go with them?" Meena asked. I jerked my gaze back to her. She was staring at me with a knowing expression.

"No," I replied, kissing her forehead. "Devlin can handle it. He's in charge of the pack until we get back from our honeymoon. Besides, today is about you and me. That's all I'm focusing on."

She lifted an eyebrow as if to say, _yeah right_. But instead, she said, "If it helps, Gabe promised to be on his best behavior today. He said he wouldn't fight Ryan even if he was asking for it."

"Sure," I replied. Bending down so I could nuzzle Meena's earlobe, I whispered, "Have I told you how beautiful you look?"

I heard her giggle. "Not in the last ten minutes, no."

I nibbled on her ear discreetly before saying huskily, "What about sexy? Have I told you how incredibly sexy you look today?"

I felt her shiver slightly and a satisfied smile appeared on my lips.

"That one you haven't mentioned," she murmured.

My arms tightened around her waist as we continued to dance. "Any idea where we're going for our honeymoon yet?"

"Nope," Meena replied. "Aunt Alice said it was a surprise."

"Should we be afraid?" I asked.

Meena grinned. "Probably. Knowing my dear aunt, we'll probably be on a safari one day and then at a runway show in Milan the next."

"Don't be silly, dear," Alice said as she and Jasper waltzed by us. "That'd be too much traveling. I wouldn't want you to look haggard on your honeymoon."

"Of course not," Meena replied dryly.

Emmett and Brady came back in the building, drawing my attention. Emmett went over to his wife, Rosalie, without a word to Brady. Brady went over to a table where Jacob, Embry, Quil, and Leah's husband, Dylan, were talking. Quil had his daughter, Kayley, cradled against his chest. She was passed out, the evening too late for the little toddler to stay awake any longer. Brady looked like he wanted to rip his imprint out of her father's arms, but instead he sat down next to him, keeping his body angled toward Kayley in case she needed him.

A few seconds later, Devlin and Azra walked in, their heads close together as they discussed something in quiet tones. Azra finally shrugged and headed for the bar where my dad was talking to my Grandpa Young and Uncle Ronnie. Devlin looked at me and gave me a half nod, letting me know everything was okay. He went back to his table where Hanna was talking to her twin Hayley and Seth.

Alice came back over to us and said, "It's time for you two to get changed into your traveling clothes. Nate, I had Jacob put your clothes in the men's restroom."

Meena reluctantly pulled away from me and went with her aunt. I was about to head for the bathroom when Gracie came in. My eyes narrowed as I examined her face. This was not the pale version of Gracie I'd been staring at the past couple of months. This was the fiery Gracie I'd grown up with…the one that looked ready to kick the world in the gonads. Only one person could have put that expression on her face. Ryan.

Sighing, I went over to her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, her eyes bright. "In fact, I'm fucking fantastic."

"Did they fight?" I asked, wondering about Gabe and Ryan.

"Everything's fine, Nathaniel," she said, her mouth going firm. "Don't you have a honeymoon to get to or something?"

She went by me and headed over to where my mom was talking to Leah and Renesmee. Shaking my head, I passed a table of wolf girls. They were talking babies…shocker considering Rebecca Black-Call, Lindsey, and Claire were pregnant.

When I reached the hallway that led to the bathroom, I heard a drunken voice slur, "Wherz da rush? Late for a Miley fan club meetin'?" Followed by several chuckles.

I looked over and saw the very drunken form of my youngest wolf, Jason Pachena. Also at his table were Paul, Jared, and Collin, looking completely angelic.

"You realize that Mac is going to kill you for getting his underage son trashed, right?" I said, mentioning Jason's father and former pack member. "And as Charlie Swan's deputy, he has a legal right to shoot you."

"Ah Natey," Jason said, slouching over. Paul quickly propped him back up. "Don't be such a killjoy. 'Sides, my parents couldn't make it tonight."

Azra had the unfortunate timing of walking over to us right then. As he was the only active member in my pack who was around, I ordered, "Get him out into some fresh air before this gets back to Mac."

Grimacing, Azra said, "Fine, but Collin's coming with me since he's been slipping Jason drinks since the reception began."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Jason suddenly stated.

"Shit," Collin muttered. "Let's go, kid."

He and Azra grabbed Jason's arms and hauled him out of his seat. They just made it outside when I heard the sound of retching. Thankfully Meena and I weren't going through that exit when we left for our honeymoon. The smell of puke might spoil the mood.

I headed into the bathroom and found some khaki pants, a gray polo short, and some dark brown sandals waiting for me. I took off the formal jacket I'd worn for the wedding and undid my tie. Throwing them on the counter I was about to take off my dress shirt when the door opened and my dad walked in.

"Just thought I'd check to see if you needed any help," he offered.

"Thanks," I said as I placed the shirt on the counter and grabbed the polo.

He nodded and reached for my formalwear. Grabbing a spare hanger, he hung up the dress shirt with care.

With a little laugh, he said, "I'm having trouble reconciling the fact that you're a married man now. It seems like only yesterday, I was teaching you how to ride your bike."

I took off the pants I was wearing and handed them to him before drawing on my khakis. "Everything will be okay when I'm gone, you know. I have complete faith in Devlin. He's a good Beta…smart."

My father grinned. "He gets that from his mother's side. Lord knows he didn't inherit his brains from Paul."

I chuckled as I slipped on my sandals and stood up.

My father's face was sentimental as he said, "I have four favorite days. Can you guess what they are?"

I shook my head and he continued, "The day I married your mom. The days you and your sister were born. And the day you phased and I knew you were going to be the next Alpha. You're the best of all of us, Nate. This is your time. You and Meena…this pack is truly yours now." He grabbed me by the shoulder and brought me in for a hug. "I love you, son."

"Love you, too, Dad," I said as I hugged him back.

We let go of each other, smiling sheepishly at one another. Finally he said, "All right…enough of this bullshit. Your bride's probably waiting for you."

We made our way out to the hallway. Meena was just coming out of the ladies' bathroom with Alice. She was wearing gray slacks and a blue top. Her hair hung in waves and curls down her back. She looked just as beautiful to me now as she did in her wedding dress.

My dad went over to Meena and kissed her cheek. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you, Mr. Uley," she said, formal as ever.

"I think at this point it's a little awkward to be calling me Mr. Uley. Sam or Dad works."

Meena smiled and nodded in acceptance. Alice said, "No dawdling. You've got a plane to catch."

We went to the main part of the boathouse where the reception had been held, but it was empty. We could hear voices outside and headed that way.

"Aunt Alice, are you going to tell us where we're going yet?" Meena asked as we reached for each other's hands, our palms kissing.

"Nope," Alice said, beaming. "All I can tell you is that your bags are already in the car, and Rosalie and Emmett are going to chauffeur you to the airport. Now, you better hurry."

Meena and I made our way outside to where the wedding guests were waiting. They started cheering and whistling when they saw us. We got into the car, which had "just married" written on the back windshield. It took off with Rosalie behind the wheel and Emmett riding shotgun. We waved goodbye to the crowd as we left. I saw my mom with her head on my dad's shoulder looking proud and teary-eyed. Her arm was around my sister who gave me a thumb's up. I looked over the faces of my friends and family. I didn't see Ryan though and could only hope he wasn't currently fighting Gabe. Just as that thought popped into my head, Tanya and Gabe arrived to wave us off, both looking thoroughly mussed. No guesses needed to know what they had been up to.

"We've got a bit of a drive ahead of us before we reach Port Angeles so we have time to go over some ground rules," Emmett said, turning in his seat to face us. "Meena, I expect a full report when you two get back from your honeymoon. If Nate doesn't perform up to expectations, you have to tell me, because I plan on using it against him for the rest of eternity."

"Pay no attention to him," Rosalie replied before she gave her husband a dirty look. "See, this is why we don't allow you out very often."

"Aww babe, don't you remember our third honeymoon? I'm telling you the earth shook."

"Of course it shook," Rosalie remarked sardonically. "We were in the middle of an earthquake."

"Better than the spin cycle."

"Ugh," Meena cried. She took my hands and covered her ears with them.

"Sheesh, you two are about as much fun as Edward and Bella," Emmett complained. "Speaking of…Meena, did I ever tell you about the time your dear old granddad broke a headboard whilst in the throes of passion with your grandma."

"Emmett!" Rosalie yelled. "You keep this up and I'm going to break a board over your head."

"Promise?" Emmett said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"I'm so sorry you married into this family," Meena whispered to me. I replied by kissing her lightly on the lips.

"That hurts, Meena," Emmett said. "You're gonna give Nate the wrong impression about me."

"Wrong impression, my ass," Meena muttered under her breath and I snorted.

Rosalie immediately changed the subject to the latest movie that had just come out. Emmett tried several times to return to the topic of sex during the drive, but Rosalie relentlessly continued on her quest for safe subjects. We finally reached Port Angeles and went straight to the airport. Grabbing our suitcases, we headed inside the building and checked them in. At this point, Meena was starting to yawn.

"You have a stopover in Seattle, but you can sleep when you get on your second flight," Rosalie said, reaching inside her purse and handing us two tickets.

"Where are we goi—" Meena started to ask but stopped as she looked at the tickets in surprise. "No way!"

"Your body temperature is a couple degrees lighter than Nate's so the heat shouldn't bother you," Rosalie responded. "And we've installed air conditioning in case it gets too hot."

"Seriously?" Meena remarked excitedly. She turned to me and said, "We're going to our family island, Isle Esme. It's off the coast of Rio de Janeiro." Turning back to her aunt and uncle, she hugged them both. "Thank you! And tell the family thank you for us as well."

"Your passports are in your carry-on and Alice packed an appropriate wardrobe," Rosalie explained. "Everything should be taken care of on the island so you two shouldn't have any problems. We'll be here to pick you up when you get back."

"You will?" I responded in surprise.

"Yes, Carlisle and Esme have some business in town," she explained before looking at me. "Don't worry. We're not planning on going near La Push."

I slowly nodded. We grabbed our carry-ons and made our way to the security check point. Emmett pointed to his eye with his index finger before pointing at me. I knew what he was saying…he was going to keep an eye on the situation. If Meena and I came back from our honeymoon looking unhappy, he was going to relish it. The fucker.

After we went through security, we headed to our terminal. At this point it was almost midnight. We sat in some chairs and Meena yawned again, resting her head against my shoulder.

I kissed her hair. "You tired?"

"Mmhmm," she replied. "It was a long day…but completely fantastic."

"Very true, but we have a week to relax."

"We're going to paradise, Nate," she said, grinning at me tiredly. "It's completely secluded…the perfect getaway."

"With nothing but us," I replied with a sly grin. "That definitely sounds like paradise to me."

She laughed even as a blush appeared on her face. Snuggling closer to me, she said, "I was thinking…when we get back, I'd like to plan a party for the pack."

My mind drifted to the little dingy apartment we were planning on living in when we came home. It was only a temporary place while we attended school, but it was going to be snug for the two of us let alone the entire pack.

"We could have it at Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue's house in Forks," Meena suggested. "I bet they wouldn't mind."

"I'm sure the pack would love that," I said against her hair, breathing in her fresh wildflower scent.

"I hope I can live up to your mother," she murmured.

"You don't have to worry about that," I assured her. "The pack already adores you. Just continue to be you."

She looked at me and leaned forward, kissing my jaw. "I love you."

I moved my mouth so I could kiss her lips. Pulling back slightly, I said, "Love you, too."

Our flight was announced and we boarded our plane. The flight from Port Angeles to Seattle was short. After a brief stopover, we were soon on a 747 headed for Brazil. The Cullens had spared no expense. We were given first class seating and there was plenty of room for us. Meena kept nodding off and I lifted the armrest between our seats.

"Stand up for a sec," I told her and she did as I instructed. I moved so my back was against the plane wall. With one leg across our seats, I placed my other leg on the floor. Once I was situated, Meena laid against me, using my chest for a pillow. She sighed happily as I wrapped my arms around her.

"Would you like a pillow?" the flight attendant asked.

"Yeah, thanks," I replied. Seconds later, she handed me two. I was going to offer one to Meena, but she was already fast asleep. Moving carefully so I wouldn't disturb my imprint, I placed both pillows behind my head and was asleep in seconds. We didn't wake up until hours later when the flight attendants were serving breakfast.

It was a long flight. We entertained ourselves by watching the in-flight movies or listening to music, but as we got closer to our destination, tension began to spring between us. It was there in every brush of our hands…in every glance we exchanged.

We wanted each other. Badly.

When we finally landed hours later, we hurried through the airport, our movements almost clumsy. Once we were outside in the balmy heat, we hailed a cab and headed for the marina.

"You sure don't want to just stay here for the day?" I asked as we passed a hotel.

I heard her snicker. "Trust me…it'll be better if we're on the island." Her voice took on a sensual tone as she whispered, "It'll be just you and me then."

"Just you and me," I repeated, picking up her hand and kissing each finger before letting her go.

We arrived at the marina and I grabbed our luggage as Meena headed down a dock. She stopped in front of a racing boat and hopped in.

"This is what we're taking?" I asked in awe.

"You know my family. They love anything fast…fast cars, fast boats," she said as she reached for her carry-on. Searching through the side pocket, she pulled out some keys and held them up with a triumphant expression.

"You want me to drive?" I offered.

Her eyes narrowed as she gripped the steering wheel tightly. Like her relatives, I knew Meena wanted the thrill of driving something so powerful. There was no freaking way she'd give up the chance. The Cullens were adrenaline junkies and Meena was no different.

"Just sit down and buckle up," she ordered.

Chuckling, I sat on the seat and watched my wife start the engine. An excited expression lit her face and I felt my smile widen. Meena was usually such a reserved person. It pleasured me to no end to see her looking so carefree.

We headed out into open water and drove until I couldn't see any land. Meena was in complete control over the boat, and I sprawled my arms across the seat, enjoying the view of my imprint's backside. After awhile, I saw an island in the distance with palm trees swaying lightly in the breeze. Meena pulled into a dock and I hopped out to secure the vessel.

Collecting our luggage, we made our way down a nearby path. We finally arrived at a house with a wide porch. Meena twisted the handle on the front door and it swung open. As I entered the home, I was reminded of the Cullens' white house in Forks. The rooms were in the same light color, the area spacious. I also felt ice-cold air smack against my skin.

"They weren't kidding about the air conditioning, huh?"

Meena laughed. "No." Her face turned nervous as she said, "So…umm…the bedrooms are that way."

She pointed down a hall and headed in that direction. I followed her, my stomach suddenly in knots. We entered a white bedroom. One side of the room was made up of mostly windows, offering a beautiful view of the palm trees and ocean outside. There was also a large canopy bed that was hard to ignore. It had a white bedspread on it and white mosquito netting. I noticed Meena's focus was also on the bed. She stared at it for a moment before taking a quick step backwards. She ran right into me and swiveled around with a little squeak.

"Meena," I said with a choked laugh. "We don't have to do anything right now."

She nodded in relief and reached for her suitcase. "There's a bathroom over there if you want to take a shower."

She nodded towards a door across the room and my hope shot through the roof until she added, "I'm going to go in the blue room and take a shower in there."

"Right…sure," I said, watching her leave. I felt my forehead scrunch up. With all the advice the guys had offered me during my bachelor party, not one had told me how I was supposed to initiate sex.

My instinct was to just grab Meena, throw her over my shoulder, and go all caveman on her, but she was so jittery, I knew that probably wouldn't be the best idea. Maybe I should just schedule a time for us to do it…like making a dentist appointment.

Realizing that I had just compared making love to my imprint with a dental exam, I went into the bathroom and took a shower, washing away the grime from traveling. When I was through, I grabbed some fresh shorts and a wifebeater and threw them on. I could hear Meena's shower running in the room next door, so I went into the bedroom and went out the room's French doors. It opened up onto the beach and I headed toward the water.

I thrust my hands into my shorts and stared out at the ocean, listening to the waves lap against the shore. I knew it had to be close to dinnertime by now, but the sun hadn't started to set yet. I raised my face to the warm heat of the sun's rays. Never in all my life had I ever felt it so powerful. Even during the sunniest days in La Push, the golden orb in the sky was never this bright. It felt foreign and wonderful.

"What are you thinking about?" Meena asked from behind me.

"The sun…it's so bright here," I replied, opening my eyes. I turned around to look at her and was struck dumb. Meena's reddish brown hair was flowing down her back and looked like coppery fire in the late afternoon light. She was wearing a long, white halter top dress that clung to her in all the right places. But what really caught my attention was her skin. It was shimmering, giving her a slight glow.

"What?" she asked self-consciously.

"Your skin…" I said, staring at it, transfixed. "Are you glowing or are you just happy to see me?"

"Oh…" she replied with a giggle. "A little bit of both actually."

I reached for her hand and picked it up so I could inspect her soft flesh closer. "How?" I finally asked.

Meena shrugged. "My vampire trait…it's getting stronger. My grandparents can't even go out in the sun without it being obvious what they were. They sparkle like diamonds were shoved under their skin. My mom has always had incandescent skin in the sun, but nothing too noticeable. I never had any issues. This is the first time my skin has reacted this way."

She folded her arms over her chest as if to hide herself from me. I frowned and took a step toward her.

"Don't," I whispered as I reached up to touch her cheek with my thumb. "It's not really noticeable. In fact, I doubt others would even see a difference if they weren't as attuned to you as I am. It's kind of a shame actually that others might not see you like this because you're absolutely gorgeous."

I bent down to kiss her lips. She met me halfway. The kiss was light at first and then things quickly turned heated. I hauled her against me and lifted her up so her face was level with mine. Her hands flew to my neck and her legs wrapped around my waist. I turned and carried her back to the house, going through the French doors and laying her on the bed. I went to lay down on top of her and she scooted back to make room.

Her head yanked back and she murmured a quiet "ouch."

I instantly froze. "What?"

"Sorry…my hair," she replied. She sat up a little and grabbed her reddish-brown locks. Lying back down, she sprawled them so that her hair was above her head like a molten river against the mattress. I groaned with longing and took off my shirt before kissing her again. I reached blindly for Meena's dress, but frowned in frustration when I couldn't figure out how to get it off.

"Just rip the dammed thing," she demanded.

Needing no further encouragement, I tore the halter strap apart and slowly drew the dress down, revealing Meena's naked breasts. They were small and perfect, the dusky pink nipples standing out proudly. I took a moment to marvel at her creamy flesh before I placed my mouth on her. Meena's fingers laced through my hair as I suckled her.

Switching my attention to the other breast, I massaged it with my mouth as I ripped the rest of Meena's dress off of her. Following my instincts, I moved my hand to the apex of her thighs. I muttered my satisfaction when I realized Meena wasn't wearing any underwear. I could feel her wetness and knew she was already ready for me.

Suddenly the Alpha wolf inside me made its presence known. A growl erupted from me and I pulled away, shoving my shorts down and kicking them off. I needed to mate with my woman…now!

"Meena, I can't wait," I pleaded with her to understand. She responded by spreading her legs wide for me. I groaned as I placed myself at her entrance and pressed in. She instantly stiffened, her nails digging into my neck and back. I hated to say it, but even that was a turn on—the feel of her marking me—and I felt myself grow even larger. Meena whimpered in pain.

"I'm sorry…so sorry," I murmured as I leaned down to kiss her jaw, her neck, anywhere I could. I stayed as still as possible, hoping she'd adjust. When her body finally started to relax, I looked her in the eye. There were a couple of tears trickling down her face and I licked them away.

"You okay?" I asked, while my body screamed to get going. I was seriously going to lose it at any moment. To my relief, she nodded and I slowly began to move.

The problem was…being inside Meena was like being caressed by warm silk. It was incredible and _way_ too much for my overtaxed libido. I was horrifyingly sure I didn't last more than fifteen seconds before I felt my body tighten and I exploded. My back arched and I let out a little shout before collapsing on my imprint, shuddering from both pleasure and embarrassment. She lay motionless underneath me and I was filled with shame. I was the Alpha, the great pack leader—and I couldn't even satisfy my imprint.

Pulling myself up so I could rest on my elbows and take my weight off her, I didn't meet her eyes as I awkwardly said, "So…"

"So…" she replied, equally awkward.

I slowly pulled out of her and she stiffened again. I could smell blood and I quickly got off the bed and went into the bathroom. Wetting a washcloth down, I went back into the bedroom. Meena was still in the same position. With only slight hesitancy, I wiped the area between her thigh and she winced.

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I wanted it to be good for you."

"It was…good," she said, but I knew she was trying to spare my feelings. I threw the washcloth back in the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed, my shoulders slumped in defeat.

She sat up gingerly and rested her head against my back. "Some girls have luck their first time. And others…well, things go better the second time around."

When I didn't say anything, she turned my chin with her hand so I was forced to look at her.

"I liked seeing you lose control like that," Meena stated quietly. "It…you make me feel so desired and loved."

"I do love you…so much."

"Then don't over think it," she said, kissing my neck. I felt her tongue lick the puncture wounds caused by her nails. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I kind of liked it, to be honest," I replied, remembering how good it felt to be marked by her.

"Kinky," she said with quirked lips. Brushing her lips against my shoulder, Meena said, "It's probably time we ate some dinner, don't you think?"

"I'll get it started," I responded, getting up from the bed and pulling on my shorts.

"You cook?" she asked in surprise.

"Just some basic stuff I learned from my mom. Nothing too fancy."

I went into the kitchen and made up a couple of steaks and a salad. When Meena came in about ten minutes later, her hair was up in a loose knot on top of her head and she was wearing a silk robe. I tried not to think about what was underneath that robe. I knew she must be sore so I wasn't going to try anything. And I wasn't overly eager to embarrass myself again.

After dinner was through, she got up from the table and glanced at the bedroom then at me, her eyes seductive. I suggested a movie instead. She looked at me in confusion before she shrugged and sat down. We watched some romantic comedy, but I had no clue what I saw—my mind was firmly fixated on the woman next to me.

I wanted her.

And given the sidelong glances she was giving me, she wanted me too. But I kept thinking about how she had stiffened up in pain while I was inside her. I was large…it was the blessing and curse of being a wolf. I couldn't bear to hurt her until I knew she was completely healed. Even given her rapid ability to recover, I figured it'd be best to wait a few days. Plus, maybe a few jerk-off sessions in the shower while under the same roof as Meena would help me learn some self-control.

When the end credits began to roll, Meena made a move like she was going to kiss me. I jumped up from the couch and did a big, dramatic yawn.

"Sorry…" I said, yawning again for effect. "So tired."

"I guess we should go to bed then," she responded, her voice confused.

"Yeah, okay," I replied. We got ready for bed in separate bathrooms. I took that time to relieve myself from the sexual yearning I was feeling. I walked into the bedroom later and found Meena already in bed, the sheets folded to her waist. She was weary a pink teddy with tiny black polka dots on it. There was even a tantalizing little pink bow between her breasts…sweet baby Jesus. Closing my eyes, I got into bed and leaned over, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good night," I said before turning away from her and lying on my side.

"Good night," she said weakly. I felt guilty at the pain in her voice, but I knew it was for the best.

The next morning I woke up to Meena kissing my chest, her hands moving in sensual circles on my stomach. I was about to turn and take her in my arms when I remembered my vow from last night. I quickly jumped out of bed and suggested we get some breakfast. Meena went from being hurt to pissed in the matter of seconds. We hiked around the island and went to visit the Cullens' bird sanctuary, but there was tension between us.

Strangely though, it didn't last long, because as the day wore on, Meena went from being pissed to amused. Sometime after lunch, she began to flirt with me…heavily. And the more I tried to ignore it, the more amused and determined she became.

We were walking on the beach, holding hands but not doing anything else when Meena said, "Hey, I know what we can do. Do you want to swim to an underwater cave?"

"Sure," I said. We went back to the house and changed into our swimsuits. Meena came out of the bathroom wearing an incredibly sexy black bikini. Her breasts were pushed up in a way that made me want to cup them in my hands. The strings holding up the bottom part were all but begging me to untie them. Then she walked in front of me, and I had to hold back my groan as I saw she was wearing a thong.

Fuck…I was so completely screwed.

"Let's go," she said, looking over her shoulder at me.

We went outside and she hurried into the water. I watched as she dove underneath the surface and came back up. Her skin was glowing under the sunlight, her head back tilted with her eyes closed. She ran her hands over her hair, the water glistening down her face and chest—

_Vampires…think of stinking, smelly vampires…_

Meena cracked her eyes open and said, "Are you coming in?"

I nodded dumbly and took a step forward as she started to float on her back, her breasts bobbing just above the water.

_Vampires attacking La Push…Emmett, for fuck's sake…think of Emmett…_

It didn't help. I ran into the ocean before she could see my body's reaction.

_Why are you fighting this?_ a sinister voice argued. _She wants it…you sure as hell want it…grab your imprint and mate! _

The wolf inside groaned its approval at that line of thinking, and I forced myself to remember Meena's pain.

_Just a couple more days…just a couple more days and she'll be ready for me…I'll be ready for her…_

"The cave's this way," she said, doing the backstroke which gave me a peek at her taut stomach and bikini bottom. We swam until we were alongside a rocky cliff surface.

"Take a deep breath and follow me," Meena instructed.

She dove underwater, and after taking a breath, I followed. I didn't have vampire capabilities—wolves weren't naturals in the water like they were, but I could feel the connection to my imprint and I allowed it to lead me in her direction. I opened my eyes, letting the salt burn for a minute until my sight adjusted. Everything was blurry and blue as we headed for a tiny opening against the rocks. We went through it and then traveled down a short tunnel. Meena surged upwards and I continued to follow her. Seconds later, my head broke through the water and I inhaled fresh air gratefully.

"Are you all right?" Meena asked. I blinked a few times and saw that she was standing on a ledge. I wiped the water out of my eyes and swam over to her.

"I'm fine," I said, hauling myself out. I looked around and saw that we were in a large cavern big enough for at least twenty people to stand in comfortably. The light from outside the tunnel bounced around the cave, giving it a soothing blue glow. There seemed to be some stairs and a higher ledge in the distance, which overlooked the rest of the cavern. Meena headed over to it and climbed up.

"You want to see the world's best swan dive?" she asked.

I looked from her to the water. I could see large sharp rocks underneath where she was planning on diving.

"No!" I shouted, but it was too late. Meena did a perfect dive and disappeared under the water. I saw her get close to a rock and then she went still. With my heart in my mouth, I jumped in after her. The salt blinded me for a second, but I swam in her direction, swimming underneath the surface, my hands searching everywhere for her.

When I didn't feel anything, I panicked. I resurfaced and yelled, "Meena!"

"What are you doing?"

I looked over and saw her staring at me from the ledge I had just vacated.

"I thought…" I started to say, taking a shaken breath before I moved over to her. She sat down, her feet dangling in the water. There was a large rock right next to the ledge and I stood on it and wrapped my arms around Meena's waist, burying my face against her stomach. "I thought you hit your head."

"Oh Nate," she murmured, her fingernails raking my scalp and I shuddered. "I've been diving in this cave since I was a little girl. I know where to jump."

I moved my head so I could look at her and realized I was eye level with her breasts. Her nipples were standing out against the black material of her bikini.

"I…"

"Touch me, Nate," Meena whispered, her voice turning seductive. "Touch me like we both want."

"I don't want to disappoint you again."

She placed her hands on my face and forced my gaze up to her. "You could never disappoint me. Even yesterday…I told you, nothing gave me more pleasure than seeing you lose control. I want this to happen."

She reached for my hand and moved it underneath the strap of her bikini and together we slowly pulled it down. My other hand automatically went to the other strap and repeated the same action.

"Are you sure you're okay to do this? You're not too sore?"

"No," she replied softly. "I woke up wanting this. Now stop thinking."

"Yes ma'am," I said with a shaky grin. Reaching around her, I fumbled with the clasp holding her bathing suit top together. Muttering in frustration, I finally got the dammed thing off and threw it to the side. Placing my palms under her breasts, I moved my thumbs in circles around her nipples. She moaned and started to squirm.

"I used to fantasize about you," I revealed, pulling one of her pebbled points. Meena arched her back in response. "From the moment I met you, I used to spend hours daydreaming about a moment like this."

Meena's breath was becoming ragged. "What did you fantasize?"

"Of placing my mouth against you like this." I brushed her nipple with my tongue. "I used to imagine using my teeth on you like this." I placed my mouth over her other breast and pulled lightly on her turgid tip with my teeth. Her hands clasped me to her, demanding more.

I wanted to comply, but after yesterday's poor performance, I was going to take this slow. Moving back, I whispered. "I used to spend so much time in the bathroom getting off to my dreams about you, I'm sure my parents probably thought there was something wrong with me."

I met her eyes, hoping I hadn't offended her. Instead, Meena's eyes were burning with desire. Hell, I could smell her need for me.

"Did you ever fantasize about me?" I rasped. My body at this point was aching to be inside her. When Meena slowly nodded, I grew even harder for her. Because I was a glutton, I asked, "What? What did you fantasize?"

She swallowed before she said lowly, "I used to dream of you touching me here like you just did." She pointed to her breasts.

"What else?" I questioned, my voice strained.

She bit her lip before her hand moved to her sex. "And of you touching me here."

"Show me," I demanded.

With only slight hesitation, she cupped herself, her long fingers moving back and forth over her slit.

"Did you always do it over the surface of your clothes?" I wondered, sounding almost clinical. In a matter of speaking, I was trying to learn something from this little exercise into foreplay. I was learning by example how to pleasure my wife. "When I thought of you, there was nothing between me and my skin."

"N-No," Meena confessed. "I didn't always wear something."

My hands went to the strings holding her bikini bottom together. I undid one and kissed her hip bone that was exposed, and then I did the same thing to the other string. Pulling the suit away from her and placing it next to the bikini top, I eyed Meena from her head to the juncture between her thighs. Her skin had a faint blush over it, her body ripe for the taking.

"You are so fucking beautiful," I muttered. I moved so that I could kiss her inner thigh. Her legs went wide, silently begging my mouth on her most sensitive area. I shook my head and lifted my eyebrow at her.

"Show me," I said again, grabbing her hand and placing it against her center. I watched in fascination as Meena took over from there, touching herself with rapt skill. Before my eyes, I saw my imprint bring herself to orgasm. When she was through, she collapsed back against the rocky floor of the cave, her body trembling.

I took that as my cue. I parted her even further and placed my mouth right against her honeyed sex. She jerked in surprise before her hands flew to her breasts, squeezing them as I consumed her. I moaned my approval which made her pant in reaction.

After what I had just witnessed, I knew exactly what areas to hit to get a reaction from Meena, and I worshipped her accordingly. And within a matter of minutes, I brought her over the edge for a second time. I leaned back, feeling pretty dammed proud of myself.

I was therefore taken by complete surprise when Meena placed her hands under my armpits and pulled me right out of the water. Bless her inhuman strength! She rolled us so that she was on top of me. Moving her fingers to my pecs, she dug her nails into my skin hard. I hissed in pleasurable pain.

"Meena," I said in a desperate tone, shedding my swim trunks. "I need to be inside you…now."

To my disappointment, she swung away from me. I thought she was going to dive into the water, but instead she moved her feet on either side of my thighs and sat down so she was on my lap facing away from me. Both of our legs were now dangling in the water. Reaching behind her, she grasped my erection in her hand.

"Be inside me," she said over her shoulder, giving me a little squeeze before letting go.

I grabbed her hips and lifted her up, bringing her back down right on top of my stiffened need. I proceeded slowly, but didn't meet the resistance I had the day before. I pushed forward until I couldn't go any further. We stayed like that for a few precious seconds—joined completely together as we were always meant to be—and then Meena started to move.

We began a sensual rhythm, the sounds of our lovemaking echoing around us. I leaned back on one hand for support as we moved, my other hand going to her hip to guide our pace. Our movements soon changed, becoming frantic. When Meena gasped and her head flew back, I knew she was getting close.

My hand moved from her hip to the heated core between her thighs. I played with the protruding nub that awaited me there. Meena reacted by gripping my knees tight. I was most likely going to have bruises there by the time we were through.

"Nate!" she screamed seconds later and I felt her insides spasm around me. The feel of her squeezing my erection sent me rocketing into another universe and I pulsated inside her.

Minutes—or it could have been hours later—Meena whispered shakily, "I think we can put to rest your fear that you can't pleasure me…goddamn."

I felt a satisfied smirk appear on my face as I pulled her back against my chest. Nibbling on her ear, I whispered, "Thank you for seducing me."

"Moi?" she responded innocently.

"Please. You can't tell me you didn't have this in mind when you brought me here."

She giggled. "I remembered something my grandma Bella said shortly after we became engaged. She said, 'Meena, men in this family have a tendency to overreact if they think they hurt you in the bedroom. You might have to convince him otherwise.'" Laughing again, she said, "It's the one time I've ever willingly listened to a relative give me sex advice."

I chuckled at that, even as my body awakened inside her. I had a feeling that the rest of our honeymoon was going to surpass every fantasy I'd ever had about my imprint. And it did.

When we landed back home a week later, Emmett was there waiting for us, looking at our faces expectantly.

"Aww dammit," he muttered as he saw our satisfied expressions.

"Sorry to disappoint," I said, not sorry at all.

"Yeah, yeah," he complained. "Let's just get your bags so I can get you home."

I stopped walking. "You can't take us to the apartment. It's too close to La Push."

"Don't worry about it," Emmett replied. "We have it all arranged with the pack and your dad."

"My dad approved this?" I questioned in an astonished tone. "Did something happen while we were away?"

"Of course not. Jeez, are you always this paranoid?" He went over to the baggage area and pulled our suitcases off the conveyor, muttering something about it smelling like "wet dog." He was out the door before I could stop him.

"I don't think this is a good idea," I murmured to Meena.

She looked at me with a frown. "Well…if your dad approved it, it has to be okay, right?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

I pulled out my phone and turned it on for the first time since we left. Checking my messages, I found that there was only one…from Devlin.

_Emmett's going to pick you up. Go with him. Everything's fine._

Deleting the message, I muttered, "I feel like I'm missing something here."

Emmett popped his head back in the door. "We going or what?"

"Fine," I said.

We got into the car and Emmett put it into drive. As we headed out of town, I noticed we missed our exit.

"We need to go west out of Port Angeles," I said.

"We're taking the scenic route," Emmett replied, taking the car south.

Pretty soon there was nothing but trees on either side of us as we got closer to the Olympic National Forest. Twenty minutes later, he pulled onto a dirt road.

"Uncle Emmett, you aren't by any chance kidnapping us, are you?" Meena said in an exasperated tone.

"Meena, it hurts that you think so little of me," he responded in a pained tone.

Meena rolled her eyes, but rested her head on my shoulder. I pressed my lips to her silky hair, enjoying the feel of it against my face. A short time later, we pulled onto a second road. The trees cleared away on one side revealing a large field. In the distance, there was a two story house made of large stones and logs. I could see a crowd of people outside…the entire Cullen coven, along with my parents, Gracie, Meena's parents, and most of my pack, Devlin, Jason, Azra, Seth, and Brady. Ryan was noticeably absent.

"What is this?" Meena asked.

Emmett pulled to a stop next to the house and put the car into park. Turning back to us, he said, "Welcome to your new home."

"What?" Meena and I responded at the same time.

The door opened and Esme peeked her head in. "I couldn't bear the idea of you two living in that cesspool of an apartment Nate picked out. We started looking for a different place for you right after the engagement was announced."

"We can't accept this," I said, looking at the house in awe.

"You're family now," Carlisle said as he came over to us. "Think of it this way, houses are always good investments for us. And at this location, we're far enough away from La Push that we can visit you without triggering any phasing in your pack."

My father and mom walked towards us, both beaming. My dad said, "This is a lot roomier for you both, and it'll be a good spot to have pack meetings. The wolves will be able to get in and out of here easier than they would have at the apartment. We worked together on this," my father added, looking at the wolves and then the Cullens.

I looked from my pack to my new vampire family. They were looking so expectantly, all Meena and I could do was nod. A cheer broke out and the vampires and wolves started mingling, most heading towards their parked cars. They were obviously leaving to give us newlyweds some privacy.

I stared at the sight before me and shook my head in amazement. What couldn't be achieved from our ancient treaty was finally achieved through my marriage to Meena. Peace between the Cullen coven and the Quileute wolves.

"So…how was the honeymoon?" Seth asked.

"It's not over yet," I replied. Picking Meena up bridal style, I carried her up the three steps leading to the porch. Smiling at her, I said, "Welcome home, Mrs. Uley."

And carrying my wife over the threshold, we walked through the front doorway, letting the door close firmly behind us.

* * *

Just a couple of quick notes. Thank you to those who nominated _Apologetic Imprint: Paul's POV_ and _The Deal We Made_ for the Single Shot Awards! If you want to check out the different stories nominated (there are some amazing wolf pack stories nominated), or if you want to vote, the link to the awards is on my profile.

Also, just a quick reminder…I have a lot of information about my stories on my blog such as a family chart, which includes the names of all the kids and who has imprinted on whom. The blog also has pictures of the girls' wedding dresses, the different characters, outtakes, and background information regarding my _Imprint Saga_. I'll also be putting Meena and Nate's house on there soon. I hope you'll check it out if you haven't already. Again, the link is on my profile page.

And thank you for all your comments on the previous chapter. I wasn't able to answer all my reviews, but please know I appreciated everything you had to say.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	27. Baby Boom

_That it should come to this!_

_William Shakespeare_

_Hamlet_

**Chapter 27 – Baby Boom**

_June 22, 2026_

Gracie's POV

"Gracie, are you about ready?" my mom called up the stairs.

"Be right down," I yelled as I slipped on my sandals.

We were on our way to a baby shower for Claire, Lindsey Paden, and Rebecca Call. Lindsey and Claire were both due in a couple of weeks. Rebecca was due in August. Claire had asked me if I wanted to be included in the shower as well, but at just four months I told her the day should be about them. If I was given a shower, it could be at a later time.

I headed downstairs wearing a loose fitting dress that went down to my knees. It was comfortable and cool against my ever expanding skin. My mom grabbed the presents we were giving each girl, and we went outside and got into her car. We drove over to the tribal center where the shower was taking place. Claire's friend Ashley was outside smoking a cigarette when we pulled up. She waved to us as we walked over to the entrance.

"Hey," she said. "Amber's inside passing out baby bingo cards and crap like that so make sure you find her."

"Sure," my mom replied with a smile.

We went inside and were greeted with the excited chatter of multiple women. As we made our way into the main room, I saw several tables set up with white plastic covers and floral arrangements on them. Each vase had decorative baby bottles and rattles attached to them. There was also blue and pink confetti sprinkled across each table. My mom placed our presents on a table that had a large pile of gifts on it, while I went over to Claire and gave her a hug.

"Hey cuz," she replied. "Food will be ready soon, and Ashley and Amber have a bunch of games planned."

"Awesome," I said nonchalantly.

"You okay?" Claire asked.

"Yeah," I replied, flashing a grin at her that was more of a grimace.

"Worried about Ryan?" she questioned and I felt my shoulders sag.

No one had seen Ryan in a week and a half. After his confrontation with Gabe at the wedding, he'd phased for the first time since finding out I was pregnant and took off. No one knew where he was though Nate had tried to reach him a couple of times. All anyone knew was that Ryan was alive and somewhere in Canada. However, he wasn't talking to anyone.

"I just wish I knew if he was okay," I replied.

"He'll come back." She tried to reassure me, but I could only shrug.

No matter what I told Ryan at the reception, the truth was I _needed_ him. Even though he'd ignored me for the past couple of months, at least I had the comfort of knowing he was around. Now, I missed him so much my skin literally ached with longing. It was so much worse than when he had taken off before. At least when he left when I was younger, I didn't know what was missing in my life. I knew why I was so miserable now. I wanted my wolf.

The baby moved inside me, and my hand fluttered down to it. I had kept my word when I told Ryan that the baby was going to be my first priority. I was eating better and sleeping at night. If I didn't feel that maternal connection that was currently making Lindsey, Rebecca, and Claire glow…well, that would come to me with time.

"Is Kayley with Brady?" I asked Claire about her daughter.

"Yep," she answered. "Quil needed to be here, and we didn't want her to be envious of all the baby gifts so Brady took her to the beach for the day."

I glanced over and saw Collin, Embry, and Quil standing in a corner talking, each looking uncomfortable. The last place they probably wanted to be was at a baby shower, but given the amount of presents on the table, the girls were going to need help loading them up their cars.

Ashley came over to us and said, "Claire, have you seen the extra paper plates? I can't find them."

"Did you look in the cupboard in the kitchen?"

"Yeah and I still couldn't find them."

"Will you excuse me?" Claire said to me and I nodded. I decided to join my mom. I passed Rebecca and her twin, Rachel Black-Wakeh. Their identical heads were close together as they talked about something in quiet voices. I said a quick hello to Olivia Pachena and Manda Elwah. Olivia was married to Mac and was the mother of Nate's youngest wolf, Jason. Manda was the wife of my teacher Rafe. Both were imprints, happily in love with their wolves. I went over to where my mom was sitting with Kim Becknell and her daughter, Hanna.

"Hayley didn't come?" I asked Hanna about her twin.

Kim's face turned disapproving as she overheard my question. She stated, "Hayley said she and Seth had made other plans."

It was well known that Kim and Jared didn't approve of their daughter getting mixed up with Seth. It might have had something to do with the fact that she was only eighteen and their relationship was getting serious. But the bigger reason was because Hayley wasn't Seth's imprint. From the family gossip I'd heard, Seth had pretty much given up on the idea of imprinting, and he began to seriously date Hayley after she became of age.

"Meena," my mom suddenly called out with a wave. I glanced behind me and saw Meena walk in with three large presents. She set them down on the gift table and came over to us with a flushed face.

"Sorry I'm late," she said as she sat next to me.

"Newlyweds," Kim murmured which made Meena's face turn even redder.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Amber announced. "The food is ready. We'll let the guests of honor and their husbands eat first—" I noticed her eyes briefly skimmed over to where Collin was standing, but they quickly looked away as if he were no more interesting than a bug. Collin's jaw tightened in response. "—And then everyone else can help themselves."

Collin, Embry, and Quil made their way over to their imprints and helped them out of their chairs. The group headed to a table on the other side of the room where food had been laid out buffet style. We soon followed and grabbed our own plates before returning to our tables.

"Have you thought of any names for your baby?" Hanna asked me politely just as I was taking a bite of food. I nearly choked and had to grab some water.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Ah no, not yet."

"Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl?"

"I'm not sure," I replied uncomfortably. The doctor had asked if I wanted to know, but I'd said no. I hated myself for my lack of interest, but I kept reminding myself of what Leah had said…I'd feel more of an attachment once I had my baby in my arms.

"We ended up getting Rebecca a pack of pink onesies since she's the only one who knows what she's having," Hanna said conversationally. "For Lindsey and Claire we bought green and yellow ones."

That made me smile. "Well, if you ask Quil, he says they're having a boy…something about the position they were using when Claire conceived. Claire, on the other hand, swears they're having a girl—but I think she mostly says that to egg Quil on."

Hanna giggled before her face turned dreamy. "I can't wait to have kids."

"You?" I said in surprise. "I thought you had a big career planned for yourself as a concert pianist."

"Oh, I want that, too," Hanna replied, her face lighting up. "But someday, I'd like to be a mom."

"Do you have the guy picked out yet?" Meena asked, giving me a knowing wink. We both knew one guy who'd volunteer for that particular job in a heartbeat…my brother's beta, Devlin.

"Not yet…but maybe I'll meet someone at Julliard," Hanna replied causing Meena and I to exchange worried glances. Dev would be a miserable son of a bitch if Hanna ended up falling in love with someone else.

"What about Devlin?" I questioned bluntly.

"Dev?" Hanna responded in surprise, a frown forming on her face. "He's just a friend. Besides he's just a kid."

"He doesn't look like a kid," I murmured. Devlin Wakeh was 6'5 pure muscle who looked at least ten years older than his actual fifteen.

"Well…I don't see him like that. I mean, he's my best friend, but that's it," Hanna said, looking flustered.

I opened my mouth to argue…to try to save her from making the same mistakes I had when I didn't know I'd been imprinted on, but Meena grabbed my arm and subtly shook her head. Deciding this was Devlin's mess to fix, I excused myself from the table to use the restroom. On my way back, I walked by the kitchen but paused when I heard the familiar voices of Amber and Collin.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Collin asked. I peeked around the doorframe and saw the two standing close together. Amber was stirring a bowl of punch; Collin was leaning on the counter next to her.

"Everything's fine," Amber replied, flashing Collin a bright smile before she returned her gaze back to the bowl, her expression becoming miserable again.

"Is it Ryan? Did he hurt you?" Collin asked and my stomach twisted.

"Of course not," Amber answered in an exasperated voice. "I've known Ryan for years. He was always hanging out at the Uley house whenever I visited Claire when I was younger—" That's right, bitch, because of me! "—we're friends."

"So if it isn't Ryan, who's hurting you?" Collin questioned, putting his hand lightly on Amber's shoulder. She instantly froze.

"Please Am," he said softly, taking a step closer to her. "Tell me what's wrong?"

She shrugged off his touch and slammed the spoon she was using on the counter. "Why is this so important to you?"

"Because…" Collin replied and though his back was to me, I could see his confusion in his body language, hear it in his tone.

"Because?" Amber prompted, turning to him questioningly.

"Because…we've been friends for awhile now and…because of Lindz," he said, taking a couple of steps away from her. "Isn't it right that I should be concerned about you?"

Amber closed her eyes briefly, her shoulders drooping. Shaking her head, she said in a tired voice, "Leave me alone, Collin. Concern yourself with your pregnant wife. I'm sure she's wondering where you are by now. She should be all you're focusing on."

Collin went rigid as if she slapped him and then he swung around. I jumped back and made it look like I was just approaching the room when he came out of the kitchen with a scowl on his face. He looked at me, startled, and then hurried by without a word. I went into the kitchen and found Amber at the counter, her head turned away from the room's entrance.

"Need any help?" I offered. I saw her reach up and brush at her face as though wiping away tears.

"Can you get some sherbet out of the freezer?"

"Sure," I replied. I grabbed the frozen dessert and brought it over to her. She scooped some out and threw it in the punch bowl.

"That's better," she said, her voice clear, her normal smile back on her face. If I didn't know her as well as I did, I would have missed the misery in her eyes.

I don't know why I said it because it sure as fuck wasn't any of my business, but I told her quietly, "You know he loves her, right? Lindsey is it for him."

"No shit," she muttered as she grabbed the bowl's ladle and dropped in the punch. Turning to me, she said, "Look, I don't know what you think you overheard or saw, but you don't need to point out Lindsey and Collin's love for each other. I'm perfectly aware of how they feel about one another, and I would never interfere with that. Especially as Lindz is like a sister to me."

"But you love him anyway, right?" I said, stating what I'd been wondering for awhile now.

Amber's whole body trembled as if she'd been electrocuted. Without another word to me, she grabbed the punch and left the room. Feeling guilty and horrible for Amber, who had no clue about imprinting and what it meant, I returned to the baby shower in time to see the girls opening their gifts.

Amber refused to look at me as she sat next to Rebecca with a pad of paper, writing down the presents that each girl received and from whom. Collin was seated next to Lindsey, his face enraptured each time he glanced at his imprint. He kept leaning over to whisper things in her ear that made Lindsey blush.

Amber turned her body so she wasn't facing them. I hoped for her sake that one day she'd meet the man she was really supposed to be with. She was too sweet of a person to be as miserable as she was. Lindsey suddenly jerked and made a hissing noise.

"What?" Collin asked, instantly panicked. "Is the baby coming?" The partygoers started whispering excitedly.

"No," she said with a wince as she rubbed her side. "The baby's just tap-dancing against my internal organs right now."

Collin's hand went straight to his wife's belly and began making soothing motions against her dress. Lindsey leaned over and kissed her husband's cheek before she reached for her next gift. I watched her and Collin closely along with Embry, Rebecca, Quil and Claire. Each wolf was so attentive to their imprintees and a little bubble of envy formed inside me.

_Where was Ryan?_

I hated that I had pushed him away even though it was for the right reasons. I just wanted to know he was okay, and my body ached all over again at the idea of his absence. What could I expect though? Even if he was here, he certainly wouldn't give me the attention the other wolves were giving their imprints. Because this baby wasn't his. He had no attachment to it.

After all the presents were opened and we played some baby shower games, the party started to wind down. I decided to go for a walk since fresh air and exercise were good for the baby. I told my mom where I was headed and went outside. With the warm summer breeze whipping at my hair, I walked to the beach. I found a log to sit on and sat so I was facing the ocean.

I could see Brady and Kayley in the distance. They were building a sandcastle together. Brady looked at her with an almost paternal devotion. It was so strange to think that one day they'd fall for each other. I couldn't even picture it though the exact same thing had happened with Ryan and me.

I sighed. My thoughts always drifted back to him. I forced myself to focus my attention on something else. I could see several surfers riding the waves. There was a couple sharing a surfboard, their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed passionately. As my eyes narrowed, I realized that it was Seth and Hayley.

Surfing and making out with her boyfriend was why Hayley had to miss the baby shower? I shook my head. That girl was too obsessed with spending time with Seth.

Thinking of Hayley reminded me of my conversation with Hanna. What would I name the baby? I took off my sandals and dug my feet in the sand. I closed my eyes and tried to think of some names.

If it was a boy, I liked the names Noah…Ryan…Jonas…Ryan—dammit!

Frowning, I thought of girl names. I liked Madison…Ryan…Cecelia…Ryan—son of a bitch!

I leaned forward and put my elbows on my knees so that I could rest my face against my palms. I closed my eyes, feeling on edge yet exhausted all at the same time. I tried to relax as I breathed in the salty ocean air.

"You looked tired, Grace," a familiar voice said and I jerked my head up. Ryan was standing next to me, wearing a gray t-shirt and dark green shorts. They hung loosely on him as though he'd recently dropped some weight, but he was still as beautiful as ever.

"What…" I started to say, but had to clear my throat first. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you so I tapped into our connection and found you here."

I was so shocked to see him all I could say was, "I thought you were up north somewhere."

He examined my face closely. "May I join you?" he asked, pointing to the spot on the log next to me. I nodded and he sat so close I could feel the heat emanating from his body.

"I _was _up north," he confirmed. "I had some thinking to do."

"And what conclusions did you come up with?" I asked nervously.

Ryan's face was more serious than I'd ever seen it as he said, "Gabe was right. If I'd just stuck around instead of running off to D.C., things would have been so different for you."

That was definitely not what I was expecting. I grabbed his arm, but he stiffened and I immediately let go. "Ryan, you can't blame yourself for my actions. It's my fault that I'm in this situation, not yours."

He turned so that he was facing me. "Gracie, just let me say this, okay?"

When I nodded, he said, "I don't think you've ever truly comprehended how connected we are. Every wrong decision you've ever made was in direct reaction to me. If I'd just told you about the imprint and the pack when you were a kid, you wouldn't have freaked out about the wolves that day Nate phased for the first time. If I hadn't left you after Quil's wedding, you wouldn't have turned to drugs, Zack, or Gabe. My leaving you will always be the biggest regret of my life. Because on some level you were needing me, and I wasn't there for you. So you tried to fill the void my absence created by using drugs and getting involved with Zack. If I'd been there like I should have been, you would never have done any of the things you did."

"You sure about that?" I asked, thinking of my former rebelliousness. If someone had told me not to do something, I would have done it anyway out of sheer defiance.

"Absolutely," Ryan replied with a stubborn glint in his eye.

I looked at him, my brow furrowed. He really believed all of this. He actually thought I had fucked up our lives because of _his_ choices. I opened my mouth to argue with him—to make him see that this wasn't his fault—but I could see the determined set of his jaw. He wasn't going to listen to me. Not now anyway.

He suddenly looked nervous as he said, "That's why I need to be there for you now. I know after the way I've been acting recently, I don't deserve to be in your life, but…I want to see you through this pregnancy."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why?"

"Because…" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I just _need_ to be there, okay? I've seen you through scrapped knees and dance recitals. I've listened to your childhood dreams and your pre-teen crushes. Gracie…what I'm trying to say is, you're my best friend. And I need to do this for you. I need to make up for the time I was gone. Please…let me do this for you."

I very seriously wanted to cry. My heart felt broken. I ached for his pain. For his stupid misguided guilt. I ached for his use of the word "friend."

I had hurt him immeasurably time and time again, and he acted like he was the one who'd wronged me. For whatever reason, he felt obligated to see me through this pregnancy. If I could give him this to make up for all the damage I caused him, then I would do it.

"Okay," I finally said. "If you want to see me through this pregnancy you can. But I don't want you to do it because you feel guilty. I'll accept your offer because, like you said, we're friends and I'm not going to turn my back on that. And once I have the baby, you don't have to be there for us anymore if you don't want."

I gave him the opening to eventually leave me if he wanted it. I certainly wasn't going to saddle him with Zack's kid. But a part of me wanted him to say that he loved me and would help me raise this baby…that we'd be a family. Instead, he nodded his head eagerly, looking relieved.

"Sure, okay," he said. He leaned over and gave me a brief hug before quickly letting me go. For some reason, I had a feeling he didn't hear anything I'd just said. All he heard was my consent.

We sat in silence for a few seconds, each lost in thought. Peeking at him out of the corner of my eye, I confessed, "I was worried you were going to leave permanently, you know."

He stiffened slightly. "I told you before I wasn't going to leave again."

I bit my lip before I asked, "Were you tempted to go back to D.C.?"

Ryan frowned as he stared out at the water. "I thought about it briefly, but my life is here now."

My stomach was uptight as I said, "You miss it though."

He glanced at me, his eyes lingering on my face before he looked back at the ocean. "I missed being here more, but…"

"But?"

"I don't know. At least when I was in D.C. I felt like I had a purpose. Sometimes…I just feel like I'm drifting here."

"You don't have to stay," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "Don't let the imprint hold you back. You should be happy, Ryan. That's all I want."

He half smiled at that, but there was something so sad about his expression as he said, "I was—_am_ happy here. I had fulfillment with my job in D.C….I wasn't happy. Fulfillment and happiness are two very different things."

I watched as Hayley and Seth stopped macking on each other long enough to try to ride a wave on their surfboard. There was a nice swell today. Perfect for riding. They wiped out in two seconds.

"It's funny," I said casually. "All I ever wanted to do was leave La Push. I wanted to get away…to see what else the world had to offer." I touched the baby bump absently. "Now, I guess I'll never leave."

"Gracie," Ryan started to say and then paused. I looked over at him and saw determination appear on his face. He finally said, "Have you ever thought about adoption?"

I stared at him, expecting to see judgment. Instead, I just saw curiosity.

"I can't," I replied with a shrug. "First off, I'm a carrier of the wolf gene—and not just any wolf gene but the _Alpha _wolf gene. Meena and Nate aren't sure they can have kids, and Gabe is in love with a vampire so that means he won't have any offspring. Even though this baby is half Zack's, it still has a strong chance of phasing someday. Embry and Rafe each had a parent who weren't from wolf lines and they both phased. And because Dad and Nate are Alphas, and I'm a blood relative of the only female wolf in the pack's history, the baby could possibly be the future leader of the pack, even if it's a girl. So no, I can't give it away."

Ryan looked at me in surprise and there was even a little respect on his face. "You're keeping this baby for the pack?"

I laughed bitterly. "Ironic, isn't it? Me, who used to fear and loath the pack now might be the mother of its future Alpha." I shook my head at the thought before adding, "The thing is…though I had other plans for my future, I don't regret not terminating the pregnancy. Not now. I can feel the baby moving all the time and this is real. It's happening to me. And…I don't want to spend time regretting my mistakes. I need to look towards the future."

"I know, and I promise I'll be there for you. I won't let you down again," Ryan replied before standing up. He rubbed his stomach and said, "I'm going to head for home now. I haven't had a chance to eat since returning and I'm starved."

He started to walk away. Panicked, I said, "What about us, Ryan?"

He stiffened for a second, before he turned to face me again.

"Like I said, you're my best friend, Grace. And I've been giving it a lot of thought the past couple of months and…maybe we weren't ever meant to be together. I mean, not romantically anyway. Maybe I imprinted on you because of what's currently going on in your life. You were supposed to bring this kid into the world, and I was supposed to see you through the pregnancy. As your friend."

"So…" I said, fighting the urge to cry. "What you're saying is that we were destined to be friends only?"

"Yeah, I think so," he replied slowly. "Let's face it. Our relationship is toxic whenever we try to be something more. I think it's healthier for both of us if we didn't push for something we're not supposed to be."

"Oh…yeah…that makes sense," I said, my voice sounding higher than normal.

"Good," he responded, smiling at me. "Well, I'm going to get going. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No," I replied with false brightness. "I think I'm going to stay out here for awhile…enjoy the fresh air."

"All right," he said. "Let me know when your next doctor's appointment is and I'll come with you. And when you do that Lamaze thing, I'll be your coach if you want."

I plastered a big smile on my face. "That sounds like a plan."

"Cool, see you later then."

"See you," I replied and watched him walk away. I was glad he didn't look back so he wouldn't see the tears falling down my cheeks.

Strange. The moment my imprint tells me he wants to be friends only, I realize I'm madly in love with him. I didn't even know when it happened. I knew from the moment he came back into my life, my feelings for him weren't of the platonic nature they were before he left. I knew when we started dating that he'd become the very center of my world. I had wanted him to fall madly in love with me.

But what I didn't realize until right at this moment was how completely and deeply I had fallen in love with Ryan.

My best friend…destined to be nothing more…_shit._

* * *

Hopefully this chapter answered some of your questions. And to those of you who've been wondering, I'm going to update Leah's story next.

To my fellow Americans, I hope you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July. To my Canadian readers, happy belated Canada Day! Don't forget to leave me your thoughts! :)


	28. Queen Of The Castle

_Something wicked this way comes._

_William Shakespeare_

_Macbeth_

**Chapter 28 – Queen of the Castle**

_July 4, 2026 – July 5, 2026_

Meena's POV

I woke up to the feel of Nate's lips brushing my shoulder. "Meena, you up yet?"

"Mmhmm," I responded, snuggling into my pillow.

"You wanted me to wake you at 10 AM, remember? My family should be here in a half hour."

"Oh…right," I said sleepily, rolling over so I could face my husband who was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had already showered and dressed for the day, wearing a blue checkered button down shirt and jean shorts. The top button was left undone and I leaned up to kiss the exposed skin there. I felt Nate's fingers sink into my hair with a slight groan.

"Don't tempt me, wife," he murmured. "I already want to call off this party so we can stay right where we are all day."

"Forget it," I said, pulling away. I got out of bed, naked of course…no point in putting pajamas on when you lived with a sex-crazed wolf…and grabbed my silk robe where it was hanging off the bedroom door. I put it on before turning to face him. "I've been planning this party for two weeks. The entire pack, as well as the retired wolves are coming and—"

"Whoa," Nate said, holding his hands up in front of him. "I was just kidding. I know how important this is to you."

"It is." I nodded in agreement. Today was my first official act as "pack mom." I wanted—_needed_—everything to go perfectly.

Nate got off the bed and came over to me. His lips brushed my forehead lightly and just for a second, I let myself lean into him before pulling away.

I didn't meet his eyes as I said, "I need to get ready."

"Meena." He grabbed my hand as I started to walk away. "Look, I know you're upset about what happened last week—"

"Please Nate," I whispered as a lump formed in my throat. "I don't want to talk about it. I _can't _talk about it. And I need to get dressed before your family gets here."

"Okay," he said with a sigh, but he didn't let go of my hand. "I love you."

I looked at him and made an effort to smile. "I love you, too."

Moving away from him, I went into my walk-in closet. Grabbing a blue summer dress that had tiny flowers on it and some fresh underwear from one of the built-in drawers, I went into our master bath and took a quick shower. When I was through, I put my hair into a loose updo and applied light makeup.

I paused as I applied my eyeshadow. There were circles under my eyes that the makeup couldn't hide, and there was strain on my face I couldn't make disappear no matter what I did. I quickly finished getting ready, avoiding my reflection as much as I could.

I heard a car pull up outside just as I was leaving the bathroom. Emily's excited chatter filled the air as she called out to Nate who apparently had gone outside. I could also hear Gracie and her dad conversing with each other. Plastering the brightest smile on my face that I could muster, I went outside and greeted our guests. Nate and his father were setting up picnic tables while Gracie and Emily unloaded groceries from the Uleys' car.

"Hello," I said. "Happy 4th of July."

"Hi Meena," Emily replied. "What a beautiful day, huh?"

I nodded. The sky was sunny for a change and there was no chance of rain in the forecast. It was the perfect condition for a party.

"Let me get this for you," I offered, taking a bag from Gracie. She was the epitome of a healthy pregnant woman, the roundness of her belly emphasized by the red gingham dress she was wearing. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and she looked youthful and beautiful. I felt like a deficient reject next to her.

I headed into my kitchen with Emily and Gracie following close behind. I had prepared a lot of food the night before—that was until Nate threw me on the table and we had sex—but there was still a lot that needed to be made since we were feeding so many wolves. We spent the next few hours making dishes. I was working on a potato salad when I heard a couple of cars pull up. Emily went over to the front window and peeked out.

"Claire and Quil are here with Brady and Kayley. Poor Claire. She's overdue. If she doesn't start having contractions soon, the doctors are considering inducing her. I'm sure she's feeling miserable. Lord knows I was at nine months. Oh…it looks like Lindsey and Collin just got here too."

Emily looked back at me and then to the potatoes I was peeling. "Do you want me to take over potato duty?"

It meant the world to me that my mother-in-law knew how much I wanted to be the host of the party today. Emily was a bit of an icon with the pack, and I wanted to live up to her standards. But hearing about the arrival of all those pregnant women left me suddenly feeling exposed and raw. I shook my head.

"I'll just finish this up and then I'll be right out."

She nodded with more understanding in her eyes than I wanted to acknowledge and she left. I returned my attention back to the potato I was holding. I sliced it too deep and the stupid thing cut in half, the one end slipping down the garbage disposal.

"God dammit!" I muttered, using one of Nate's favorite phrases. A few months ago, I would have been too refined to display such emotion. Now I wanted to sit on the floor and cry.

"You want to explain why you're trying to murder a harmless potato?" Gracie asked warily.

I swallowed my bitterness, grabbed another potato, and said, "Everything's fine."

"You seem…uptight."

"Aren't I always?" I snapped.

"Yes," Gracie responded and I glared at her. She shrugged in return. "I'm just saying you seem upset."

When I didn't say anything, she shook her head and murmured "whatever," before she returned to cutting up vegetables for our deli tray.

"I got my period last week," I finally admitted.

Gracie looked at me with a frown on her face. "Well, that's not the end of the world, is it?"

I blinked back tears and tried to speak but found that I couldn't. The thing was, it was the end of the world…for me anyway. I had planned my honeymoon for when I thought would be the best time to get pregnant. I had meticulously studied the dates on my calendar. And it hadn't mattered a dammed bit. In fact, my period had even arrived a little early as a big ole f-you.

I was running out of time. I could feel it in my bones. Just the other day, I had cut myself shaving. It had been deep, one that should have taken a couple of hours to heal. Instead, it healed up within seconds. I was becoming immortal. But that wasn't something I wanted to discuss with my sister-in-law.

"How are your classes going?" I asked in a blatant attempt to change the subject.

She took my brush-off gracefully. "Fine. I mean, school's school, but my grades are going strong. If I keep this up, I should get my diploma with honors."

After the New Year's incident, Sam and Emily had threatened to pull Gracie out of public school if she screwed up again. Getting pregnant by a kid she wasn't even supposed to associate with anymore had been the final straw. They let her finish the semester, but they pulled her out before her senior year. She was getting home schooled instead. And as it turned out, it was probably the best decision they had ever made when it came to Gracie. When she wasn't concentrating on the baby or trying to reconnect with Ryan, Gracie was putting all her efforts into her education. As she was taking summer courses, she anticipated getting her diploma by the end of the year, right after the baby arrived.

Thinking of the baby made my mouth go thin, but I pushed my disappointment aside and asked, "How are things going with Ryan?"

Gracie's lips pursed as she finished the deli platter. "Fine…great. He brought me a copy of _What To Expect When Your Expecting_ the other day."

"But?" I asked as I threw the potatoes in a pot of boiling water.

Gracie sighed as she turned around. She leaned back against the counter, using her elbows to support her. "He's just so distant. I mean, he's the same Ryan I've always known: attentive, sweet, caring…argumentative, stubborn. But there's a wall between us. I don't know. It's frustrating."

I got the rest of the ingredients I needed for my potato salad and threw them in a large bowl. "At least he's talking to you again. That's good, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Gracie said though she didn't look happy. I copied her position and turned so my back was against the counter as I waited for the potatoes to cook.

Each of us were lost in our own thoughts when we heard a voice say, "Well if these aren't two of the mopiest women I've ever seen."

Both our heads jerked up in surprise. Gabe was staring back at us with a wide grin on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Gracie asked in surprise. "I thought you had to stay away from pack functions."

"Talk to your boy."

"Ryan?" Gracie questioned in confusion.

"He called up our dad and said he was calling off the dogs—no pun intended," Gabe explained. "He said he wouldn't attack me if I wanted to come and visit. I'm also allowed back in La Push."

"But why?" she asked.

Gabe laughed. "That's probably a better question to ask him, don't you think?"

"Yeah," she said absently. She looked out the kitchen window.

"He's not here yet," Gabe responded to her silent query.

"Oh…" she said, her forehead furrowing.

"You taking care of that baby?" Gabe asked as he walked over to her. He wasn't even looking at Gracie. His eyes were locked on her bump.

"I told you I would," she replied.

"Good girl," he said, reaching out to touch her belly. They both stilled before smiles broke out on their faces. I watched with morbid interest. It was like rubbing salt in a wound.

"The baby sure likes to move whenever you're around," Gracie stated, her hand going over my brother's where it rested on her stomach.

Gabe gave her a crooked grin. "I have that effect on people."

"Speaking of," I said. "Did Tanya come with you?"

"Nah," Gabe responded, his hand dropping from Gracie. "We didn't want to push the pack's patience. I'm sure it'll be tense enough with just me here."

"That reminds me," Grace said. "I wanted to ask Nate something. Excuse me."

She left the kitchen and Gabe came over to me, giving me a hug. "How goes it, Meens?"

I threw my arms around my twin, resting my head tiredly on his shoulder. "How'd you know I needed my big brother?"

"Twin telepathy, remember? Well, that and your husband called. He's worried about you. Said it seemed like you could use me," Gabe grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the kitchen and over to the living room couch where we sat down. "Okay, spill."

I felt my shoulders sag. "I just feel like a genetic defect. We've always felt like freaks, but…it's like I have this time bomb inside me and I keep waiting for it to go off. When it does…that's it. Any hope of having kids will be gone."

"Meena, if you're meant to have kids, you're going to have them. But if you don't…well, fate brought you and Nate together for a reason. As Alpha, he needs a strong mate by his side to help him lead the pack. Isn't that what today is about? You asserting your position with his brothers?"

"I guess," I murmured.

"And maybe if you just relax a little and don't worry about producing a litter of pups, you'll get pregnant before you know it."

I laughed a little. "You make it sound so sweet. A litter? Seriously?"

Gabe grinned. "Hey, you need a little perspective in your life."

"I'm so glad you're here," I told him.

"Me too," he said, looking out the window. "I like being back here. This area has a lot of special meaning for our family."

"So does that mean you'll be moving back here permanently?" I asked hopefully.

"Nah, I'm happy in Alaska with Tanya," Gabe replied. Both our heads perked up when we heard the voices of our parents. Gabe got up from the couch. "I'm going to go say hi."

"Okay," I said, also standing. "I just have a few more things to do in the kitchen and then I'll be right out."

He leaned over and gave me a quick hug. "You're going to be fine, Meens, no matter what happens."

He let me go and went outdoors. I finished up the potato salad and started to head outside, but stopped when I saw Gracie and Ryan standing on the porch, blocking the screen door exit. I didn't want to interrupt so I started to retreat back into the kitchen when I heard my brother's name mentioned.

"I don't understand," Gracie said. "Why'd you let Gabe come back?"

I peeked down the hall and saw Ryan standing with his hands in his pockets, his eyes lingering on Gracie's face.

"I figured if you're willing to bring a kid into this world for the security of the pack, I could do some relenting too."

"You did this for me?" Gracie whispered.

Ryan slowly nodded. Gracie responded by throwing herself into his arms and burying her face against his chest. He stiffened for a second before I saw him briefly close his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on top of Gracie's hair.

I was taken aback by Ryan's expression. He certainly didn't look like a man who wanted to be "just friends" with a girl. He looked like a man hopelessly in love without a clue how to act on it.

Gracie pulled away and said, "Thank you, Ryan. Thank you so much."

"Sure," he replied awkwardly. "Listen, I'm going to check on the grill. Your father was volunteering to barbeque and you know how bad he is at it."

Sam's lack of cooking skills was legendary and Gracie immediately nodded her head. "Yeah, please go rescue our dinner."

Ryan stared at his imprint for a quiet second before he left the porch. Gracie turned around and headed into the house. I moved with inhuman speed back to the kitchen counter, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping.

It was truly ironic. I had the ideal imprint. I had the man of my dreams and was lucky enough to be married to him. Gracie had a miserable imprint situation, but she had the baby I longed for. It was weird how things worked out sometimes.

"Need help with anything else?" she offered as she came in the kitchen.

"I'm just getting ready to take some food outside," I said. Gracie grabbed the deli platter she'd worked on earlier and headed outdoors. Grabbing some cheese and crackers, I made my way outside as well.

A lot of the pack had arrived by now. I could see Brady chasing Kayley around the field in front of our house, her childish laughter echoing across the area. Devlin watched them from nearby, looking morose. His imprint, Hanna, as well as Jared and Kim were in California this weekend meeting with Hanna's talent agent, Will Samson. Will was a former pack member who had made it big in Hollywood as an agent. I knew Devlin was happy for any success his imprint had, but he was also missing Hanna like crazy.

Jason Pachena was currently following Azra around like a puppy. The older wolf finally gave Jason a pointed glare, which made the younger wolf quickly retreat to his father Mac and mother Olivia's side. Azra went over and joined Ryan at the grill, but I noticed his eyes kept scanning the area, particularly focusing on where Quil, Claire, Lindsey, and Collin were sitting.

Both Claire and Lindsey looked miserable in the heat, their pregnant bodies sweltering. Lindsey kept shading her eyes with her hand before she finally reached over and took Collin's sunglasses off his head and put them on. Instead of getting annoyed, Collin happily offered to get his imprint something cool to drink. I could hear Quil asking Claire repeatedly if she was comfortable or not. She finally snapped at him to shut up.

The only active wolf I didn't see was Seth. I was about to ask Nate if he'd shown up or not when I saw Seth come out of the woods with Hayley, their clothes mussed. I guessed it was a good thing that Jared and Kim were out of town today. I would have hated for Jared to murder Seth at our first pack event.

I went over to say hello to my former teacher Rafe and his wife Manda who were sitting on a blanket under a tree. They had little kids themselves. Their oldest daughter Arabella was six, their son Taurin was five, and they also had a two-year-old daughter named Maya.

"Hey Meena," Manda greeted.

Maya was fast asleep next to her mother. Ara and Tauri were playing nearby with Jason's three younger siblings, Lucy, Joe, and Alison. There was a serious game of tag going on. My heart pained with emptiness as I looked at all the kids, but I forced my attention back to Rafe and Manda.

"Can I get either of you anything?"

"I'm good," Rafe said and Manda said she was fine.

My aunt Rebecca, Uncle Embry, and their son, Luke, arrived, so I excused myself to go greet them. Luke jumped out of the car and hurried over to where the other kids were playing. Embry wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.

"Hi, you two," I said. "There are snacks on the table, beverages in the cooler near the grill, and you can find some shade…well, near the other pregnant women." I nodded in the direction of Claire and Lindsey while avoiding gazing at my aunt's round belly. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thanks honey," Rebecca said. She and Embry joined Lindsey, Collin, Quil, and Claire. I was about to check with Ryan to see how the barbeque was coming when my Uncle Paul, Aunt Rachel, and their youngest son, Sean, arrived. I was momentarily taken aback as I stared at my cousin.

Sean was ten now, but he was an extremely tall ten-year-old. I didn't see him as often as I saw his brother, Devlin, because Dev was a wolf, but Sean definitely inherited his genes from his father. He was going to be huge someday whether he phased or not. I greeted my guests, and Sean immediately took off to join our cousin Luke in tag.

I spoke with Rachel and Paul for a few minutes before they excused themselves to join Emily and Sam. Ryan signaled to me that the food was done. I nodded and went inside the house to get the side dishes.

Nate came in and said, "I'll help you bring out the rest of the food."

"Thanks," I replied. We worked in compatible silence as we brought the meal out to our guests.

Everyone was eating and enjoying themselves when we heard a commotion. Quil jumped up from the table he was sitting at, looking panicked.

"Claire's in labor," he shouted.

Embry went into doctor mode and made his way over to her. With Quil's help, they escorted Claire into the Atearas' car. Brady followed, locking Kayley in her car seat, before he got behind the wheel and drove the couple and Embry to the hospital. Lindsey and Collin decided to head that way as well so Lindz could support her friend.

Emily and Sam came over to where Nate and I were sitting. Sam said, "I think we're going to go to the hospital, too."

Emily looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, honey. I don't want to bail on your party, but Claire's like a daughter to me."

"It's fine," I assured her.

"Gracie, you coming?" Sam asked. She looked from Ryan to her father.

"I can give you a ride home if you want," Ryan offered and her face broke out into a smile.

"I'll stay," she said. Sam nodded and he and Emily took off.

As the sun began to set, Nate suggested, "Why don't we get a bonfire going? Once it gets a little darker we can also set off some fireworks."

"I'll get the wood," Azra said, looking tense and distracted.

"Sure." Nate nodded, watching his wolf brother in concern.

I went inside the house and grabbed some marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers for s'mores. As I headed outside, I saw Sean go over to his mom and dad.

"Mom, I feel really sick," he muttered, his face pale and sweaty. Nate was by his side in a second.

"Sean…" he whispered, staring at the boy in horror.

"I don't get it," Paul said, looking equally upset. "What's triggering it?"

I set the food I was carrying on a picnic table and went over to Nate. Just as I reached him, I froze. In fact, all the wolves seemed to come to a standstill, even the retired ones. In strange unison, we turned our heads north in the direction of Port Angeles.

"Fuck," Nate muttered. He quickly turned to me. "Do you recognize them?"

I breathed in deep. There were vampires in the area, but I'd never smelled them before. My nose wrinkled in distaste—and God forgive me—hunger as I picked up the scent of blood on them…human blood. They had fed recently. I turned to my mom and she shook her head, indicating she didn't recognize them either.

I looked at Nate. "I don't know them."

Azra, Seth, Devlin, and Jason were by Nate's side within seconds. Jason looked excited. Devlin kept looking at his little brother in worry.

"Meena," Nate said, going into Alpha mode. "I need you to get everyone inside, please."

I didn't hesitate.

"Everyone, why don't we take the party indoors," I said in a raised voice, speaking as calmly as I could so I didn't frighten the children.

Rafe and Manda immediately collected their kids and ushered them inside as did Mac and Olivia with their children. My mom hurried over to my Aunt Rebecca and Gracie and guided them inside, keeping her arms protectively but firmly around both. Hayley jumped on Seth and kissed him passionately before she also went indoors. The only ones left outside were the pack, my dad, Nate, Rachel, Paul, Sean, my brother, and me.

"We need to take care of this," Nate said, sniffing the air and blanching at the rancid smell, which was now west of us. "They're between us and La Push. I don't like it."

"What about Sean?" Paul asked in a tense tone.

Nate eyed my cousin who was now lying on the ground shaking. "Rachel, Paul, go inside before you get hurt."

"What about my son?" Paul demanded again.

"Paul, he's pack business now," Nate said with authority. "You'll have to let us take care of him from here."

Paul's mouth went grim, but he and Rachel headed indoors. Nate turned to my father. "I know you're not part of my pack, but I'm going to ask for your help anyway. Can you watch over Sean and help him if he phases?"

My dad nodded. "Yes."

"Gabe, Meena, I'm going to ask for your help, too," Nate said. "Meena, call Brady and let him know the situation. If any vampires backtrack, he'll be in Port Angeles to ward them off. And if danger comes close to our house, I'll need to you to protect the people inside. Can you make everyone invisible?"

"I've never used my powers on so many people, but I'll try."

Nate nodded and said, "Gabe, I know we've had our differences—"

"What do you need me to do?" my brother interrupted.

"If any vampires get close to here, mess with their heads like you did to me in Vancouver."

"Absolutely," Gabe agreed.

Nate reached out and briefly shook my brother's hand. The pack turned in unison and started to head for the woods. Ryan paused as he saw Gracie standing on the porch. He gave her a little half wave before disappearing into the trees.

I followed Nate to the edge of the forest and grabbed his hand before he could phase. I knew the others had already transformed. I could see their wolf eyes reflecting through the trees.

"Nate," I whispered. "We've only been married a couple of weeks. Don't make me a widow just yet, okay?"

He chuckled. "Don't worry. We're still on our honeymoon. I'm not going to miss that." He lightly kissed me on the lips before he said, "Keep them inside, Meena. Keep them safe."

"I will," I promised.

Nate nodded and disappeared into the woods. I made myself invisible and headed back to the house. My father was crouched down next to Sean, who was withering around on the ground in pain. He was talking to my cousin soothingly and Sean's panicked eyes remained locked on him. I hurried up my porch and went over to Gracie who was still staring into the direction the pack had disappeared. I made myself visible, and she jumped when she saw me.

"You need to get inside," I said as Gabe joined us.

"They'll be okay, right?" she asked, looking pale.

"Of course," I answered. "They've got Nate leading them. Now move!"

She nodded and went indoors with my brother and I following behind her. Paul, Rafe, and Mac were standing close together near the front door. They hadn't phased in years, but I had no doubt their inner wolves would be triggered if their families were in danger. It was kind of reassuring.

Rachel and Rebecca were sitting on the couch. Rachel was trying to keep her twin calm, while sending worried glances out the window as she tried to see what was happening with Sean. Manda and Olivia were standing protectively by their kids.

Sean screamed outside and Paul ran for the door. Gabe and I stopped him before he could take another step.

"You'll only put yourself in danger," I said as I thought about my mother-in-law's scarred face. "My dad will take care of him, I promise."

Paul swore and ran a hand through his hair. He started pacing around the living room. The tension in the air was palpable. Mac's youngest children, Joe and Alison, started crying.

"Where'd Jason go?" Alison whimpered for her oldest brother. "I want Jason."

"Kids," I said with a bright smile. "Guess what Nate has in the basement? A huge TV with lots of movies for you to watch. Would you like to watch something?"

That quieted them down. The kids followed me downstairs to Nate's man cave. The youngest kids' faces lit up as they stared at all the movies—stocked mostly by my Uncle Emmett. They raced over to the shelves where the DVDs were located and tried to decide what movie to watch first. I went over and picked out one of my favorites, _Wizard of Oz_. I figured it'd be appropriate for even the littlest ones. I handed the DVD controller to my cousin Luke and let him be in charge. Olivia, Rafe, and Manda came down and joined their children, their bodies tense. I noticed Jason's oldest sister Lucy was standing off by herself, looking uneasy. She was the same age as Sean, and I knew they went to school together.

"He'll be okay, you know," I assured her. She smiled at me and sat down next to her siblings though she still seemed upset.

I went back upstairs and called Brady. I quickly explained the situation to him. He told me he'd keep an eye out.

"How's Claire?" I asked.

"Still in labor," he said. "Dammit, I should be out with the pack, but—"

"You're where you need to be," I told him. I knew he would be useless in the field if he left Kayley unprotected. We talked for a few minutes and I hung up just as a howl burst through the house making me jump. I scrambled over to the front window where Gracie and Gabe were standing.

"Sean just phased," Gabe murmured. "He took off in the woods so Dad went after him."

I nodded and went outside on the porch. I sniffed in different directions, but I didn't smell any danger. Gabe came out and stood next to me.

"You doing all right?" he asked.

"Yeah…just worried," I answered.

"Like you told Gracie, Nate's leading the pack. They'll be fine."

"I know," I said, giving him a weak smile.

He gave my arm a comforting squeeze. "I'm going to check in with Dad for a minute and see how Sean's doing."

"Okay."

Gabe went down the porch and headed for the forest. He came back about ten minutes later looking grim.

"Sean's fine. Just really shaken," Gabe told me, but I could tell he was holding back.

"What?" I asked, trying not to panic. "What aren't you telling me?"

My brother shrugged. "It's nothing to get upset about. Dad used Alpha telepathy to let Nate know that Sean phased. Nate told him they were near the Oregon/Washington border. They got one vampire, but Jason got hurt—nothing major, just a bad cut—"

"They got one? How many were there?"

"Three as far as Nate could tell."

I rubbed my hands tiredly over my face. Contrary to what I had said, I was very worried about Nate. I wanted my husband home. And now I wanted to see Jason and make sure he was all right.

"I guess I should give everyone an update," I said. I went back inside the house and headed into the living room where Mac, Paul, my mom, and some of the others were waiting.

"My dad just spoke with Nate," I told them. "There were three vampires as far as the pack could tell, and they only apprehended one so far. Everyone's okay—" I paused as I looked at Mac—"However, Jason did get hurt."

When Mac looked like he was going to go after his son, I added, "He's fine though. It sounded like he got cut, but nothing more than that. Nate's keeping an eye on the situation."

Mac gritted his teeth but nodded. I went over to Rachel and Paul. "Sean's all right too. He phased and he's shaken, but otherwise he's good. My dad is still with him and Nate's aware that he changed."

"Thank you for letting us know," Rachel said, reaching out to hold Paul's hand.

I nodded and went into the kitchen. My mom followed. "How are you holding up?"

I smiled at her. "I just want them home."

"I know. I can still remember when the Volturi came to the area when I was little. I was terrified for your dad and my family. Just have faith in the pack. They know what they're doing."

I nodded and hugged her. We sat at the table, both staying alert. The atmosphere was unbearable for the next couple of hours as we waited for news. Shortly after midnight, the phone rang. I ran to it and answered.

"Hey, it's Seth."

"Seth," I said in relief and Hayley ran into the room. I turned away from her. "What's going on, Seth?"

"We got the second vampire, but the final one escaped. He was booking ass towards Idaho so I think it's safe to let everyone go home now."

"Where's Nate?" I asked.

"He's on his way back already to deal with Sean."

That made me pause. "Wait…where are you calling from?"

"We weren't that far from Portland, so I stopped by Leah's house to use her phone and get some matches. We've got some leeches to torch."

"I want to talk to him," Hayley said.

"Just a second," I snapped before refocusing on my conversation with Seth. "What about Jason?"

"He's fine. Already healed."

"So everything's okay," I said, feeling my tension leave me.

"Yeah," Seth replied. "We're going to start heading home now. Let our families know we're going directly to the hospital in Port Angeles to check on Quil and Claire—you haven't heard anything, have you?"

"No," I answered. "Claire was still in labor last time I talked to Brady."

"Well, I know some of the guys want to make sure the hospital is secure so we're going there next."

"All right, I'll let everyone know," I said before adding, "Hayley wants to talk to you."

"Put her on."

I handed her the phone and went back in the living room to update everyone. The relief in the room was tangible. I headed down to the basement to let Rafe, Manda, and Olivia know what was going on. All the kids were fast asleep on the floor. After reassuring my guests that it was safe to leave, the house slowly emptied out, leaving just me, my mom, Gracie, and Gabe behind.

"Gracie, how about I take you home?" my mom offered. "I'm sure you're exhausted."

"But Ryan…" she started to say, but my mom stopped her.

"He's not going to be back for hours, and it'll do you and the baby good to get some sleep."

Gracie finally agreed and they left. I turned to my brother and said, "Are you headed out?"

"Nope," he replied. "I'm not leaving until Nate walks through the door."

"I'll be fine on my own," I assured him. He glanced at my face and then the area around me. I knew he was examining my aura.

"Yeah…" He drawled out the word. "I'm staying."

We started cleaning up the remnants of the party. As we finished up, I noticed Gabe kept smiling.

"What?" I finally asked.

"Nothing. I was just thinking, for your first pack party, it certainly was memorable."

I laughed at the irony. It certainly had been at that.

* * *

**Reviews will earn you cyber kisses from...err...Gabe?**


	29. Quileute Song

_I will kiss thy lips._

_William Shakespeare_

_Romeo & Juliet_

**Chapter 29 – Quileute Song**

_July 5, 2026 – July 10, 2026_

Nate's POV

I walked up the stairs of my porch, completely worn out. Behind me were Devlin and my newest but currently shaken wolf, Sean. It had taken a few hours, but we had finally gotten him to phase back into human form. It helped that Devlin stuck by his side the whole time. The brothers had always been close, and Sean hero-worshipped him.

It had been one hell of a night. We'd chased the band of vampires through Washington and part of Oregon, but only managed to kill two of them. I hoped we frightened the third one away. From what I knew, vampires were normally solitary creatures, but sometimes they formed bonds. When that happened, they could be a pain in the ass, returning to cause problems later on.

And right now would be an ideal time to attack because we were scattered and exhausted. Seth, Ryan, and Azra had headed to the hospital to check on Claire and Quil. They'd also wanted to make sure no other vampires were lingering in Port Angeles. I had ordered Jason home. He had lost a lot of blood when he got clawed by one of the vampires, but he had healed up nicely. I still wanted him to rest for the day. I knew Dev was as tired as I was, but he wasn't about to leave his little brother's side.

Jesus. Sean was only ten-years-old. He was way too young to be a wolf.

I rubbed a hand over my face. I wanted nothing more than to feel Meena's body against mine and my comfortable bed. I entered the house quietly, afraid I would wake her if she was asleep. Gabe jerked up from the couch as we walked in the room. He had obviously been sleeping, but he was instantly alert.

"Hey," I said lowly before looking around. "Is Meena in bed?"

"Yeah," Gabe replied with a yawn. "She stayed up for as long as she could, but she finally fell asleep on the couch so I carried her up to your room." He looked behind me and saw his cousins. "Hey Sean…Dev. Sean, how goes it, man?"

"Okay," Sean responded feebly.

"I'm going to put them in one of the guest rooms," I said. "They both need a place to crash, and I don't want Sean back on the rez until he's under control a little more."

Gabe looked at the front door. "Did my dad go home?"

"Yeah."

He stood up and stretched. "I guess I should head out too."

"Why don't you just stay in the other guest room?" I suggested. "You look like shit."

Gabe laughed. "Thanks."

I ignored the vibe inside me that wanted the other Alpha off my land and showed Gabe to one of the rooms on the main floor. I led Devlin and Sean to another guest room that had a large king size bed in it. When they were settled, I went upstairs and took a shower before I made my way into my room.

Meena was sleeping on her stomach, still wearing the same blue dress she'd worn the day before. I quickly and efficiently stripped her so she'd be more comfortable. She was so exhausted she didn't even know I was there. I stared down at her for a moment before lightly tracing one of the dark circles under her eyes.

I knew she was depressed about not being pregnant. She seemed to think it was her duty to carry my child. She didn't get that all I needed was her.

Yawning, I laid on my bed and had just gotten comfortable when my cell phone rang on the table next to me. Swearing softly, I got back up and grabbed the phone, taking it in the hallway and closing the bedroom door quietly behind me.

"What?" I snapped in way of greeting.

"It's Brady." My exhaustion evaporated immediately as I heard the empty tone of his voice.

"What is it?" I asked anxiously.

"Can you…" He seemed to pause as if he were having trouble speaking. "Can you come to the hospital?"

"Claire," I said, my body starting to tremble. "What happened to Claire?"

"Just…just get here, okay?"

"I'm on my way," I said.

I hung up and went back into my room. I paused and briefly debated waking Meena, but decided against it until I knew more details. Going into my closet, I grabbed some shorts, flip-flops, and bundled both inside a t-shirt. I needed to get to Port Angeles fast. The best way to do that was in wolf form. Tying the clothes to my leg, I hurried outside and phased. The sun was just starting to rise as I headed into the woods.

I reached Port Angeles in seconds and got as close to the hospital as I could in my current state. When I couldn't go any further, I changed back and ran the rest of the way. I arrived five minutes after Brady had called.

I entered the building and sniffed the air. I could pick up the scents of my parents and Brady and headed in that direction. After going down a couple of hallways, I came upon my family. Brady was holding Kayley against his chest. She was fast asleep, which was probably a good thing. She would have been upset if she saw the stricken expression on Brady's face as he snuggled his imprint close. I looked over at the waiting room and saw Claire's friends, Amber and Ashley, sitting nearby. Both were hugging each other and crying. Claire's parents, my Aunt Stacy and Uncle Ronnie, were also there with my parents sitting on either side of them. They all looked shocked and numb.

"Nate, hey," Brady said quietly as soon as he saw me.

"Did Claire die?" I asked, my stomach tense.

"It's not Claire," Brady replied and I felt an immediate sense of relief before Brady's words finally registered.

"If Claire's okay, then who…?"

Tears filled Brady's red-rimmed eyes as he said in a raspy voice, "Late last night, Lindsey got really sick. She'd been complaining about a headache most of the day, but then it turned severe. She was telling Collin that her vision seemed blurry when her speech suddenly slurred and she collapsed. The doctors ended up having to take her baby out by cesarean but…Lindsey didn't make it. They think she had an aneurysm."

I felt dizzy for a second before the room righted itself. Swallowing hard over the painful lump that had formed in my throat, I asked, "Where's Collin?"

"That's why I called you. He's barricaded himself in the room with Lindsey. He won't let anyone in."

Brady looked at a door across the hall before he walked over to my aunt and handed Kayley to her. I went to the door and tried the handle. It didn't budge. Embry came over to me wearing his white doctor's jacket. I had never seen his face so grim.

I glanced at the door and then back at him. He nodded and said, "Do what you gotta do."

Brady rejoined us and flanked my one side while Embry covered the other. The absent thought popped into my head that it was so natural to go into pack formation. Which reminded me of something.

"Where are the rest of the guys?" I asked Brady. I knew Azra, Seth, and Ryan were supposed to be here somewhere.

"They're down near Claire's room."

"Do they know?" I questioned.

"Yes," Embry answered. "Claire and Quil don't though. I didn't think it was an appropriate time to tell them."

I got a good grip on the handle but paused. "What'd Lindsey have anyway?"

"A girl," Embry responded. "She's in perfect condition."

"And Claire?"

"She just gave birth to a little girl."

I nodded and with one final look around, I used my Alpha strength and hit the door as hard as I could. It splintered in half. I handed the broken piece to Embry and stepped into the room, pushing a heavy chair that had been blocking the door out of my way. I also noticed metal pieces from some type of medical equipment jammed into the door jamb. I took those out and threw them on the floor before scanning the room. The first thing I saw was an empty hospital bed. I turned my head and froze at the sight before me.

Collin was sitting in a small chair in the corner, cradling Lindsey's lifeless body in his arms. He was rocking her back and forth, humming a Quileute song that had been taught to us since we were kids. It was a hymn about our spirits leaving this world to battle a new land.

"Collin," I said cautiously, taking a slow step towards him.

"Shh…" Collin murmured as he continued to rock back and forth. "She's had a busy day. I don't want to wake her. She's always telling me she needs her beauty sleep."

He looked at me then. His face was animated though his eyes were vacant as he let out a little laugh. "Though I always tell her…you're beautiful, Lindz. You don't need beauty sleep. But you know how women are."

He placed his lips against Lindsey's forehead and continued to hum.

"Collin…" I tried again. "Maybe you should put her back on the bed. She'd probably be more comfortable there."

A growl erupted from him, low and fierce. "No! She's fine here. I'm not letting her go. I _won't_ let her go."

I took a step back to give him his space and tried a different tack. "Have you seen your baby yet? Embry said she's perfect."

"Baby?" Collin said blankly before his eyes briefly came into focus. "Oh right…Alexis. That's the name Lindsey picked out."

"That's a good name," I said in a pacifying tone. "I'm sure your baby would like to see her dad right now."

Collin ignored this as he went back to humming. He kept smoothing Lindsey's hair over and over again, as if he were trying to rub some life back into her. I didn't know how to reach him. His wife—his imprint—was dead. From everything I knew of our history, imprinted wolves didn't live without their imprints, regardless if children were involved or not.

"Excuse me. Nate?"

I glanced over and saw Amber coming into the room. I made my way over to her. Collin was too unstable right now to be around humans.

"The funeral director is on his way and—" Amber started to say when she caught sight of Lindsey and Collin. A sob caught her breath as she whispered, "Oh Lindz…"

Collin looked up at the sound of the woman's voice and met Amber's sorrow-filled gaze. Something put me on full alert and I stepped protectively in front of her as his face turned to rage.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE," he roared.

Amber jumped and took several steps back without taking her eyes from him. She hit the wall behind her and scrambled out of the room. I felt frozen, trying to comprehend what I just saw. Collin stood up with Lindsey in his arms. He was shaking so hard, he was beginning to blur. He quickly carried her back to her bed and placed her down on it. With shaking hands, he caressed her pallid cheeks before he leaned down and kissed her lips.

"I love you," he whispered against Lindsey's mouth. "I'll love you until I die."

He straightened and looked at me with something akin to panic in his eyes. "I can't…I can't be here."

I started to nod, but yelled out in surprise when Collin kicked the hospital room window. With glass still shattering down to the ground, he hopped through the broken opening and hurried for the woods. Seconds after he disappeared through the trees, I heard the mournful cry of a wolf.

"Brady, Embry," I said without raising my voice. When I felt both of them next to me, I turned to Embry. "You can do whatever you need to with Lindsey's body now."

Embry's jaw clenched as he went over and drew a sheet over Lindz's still form.

I looked at Brady and said, "Collin just imprinted on Amber." Embry and Brady both looked at me in shock. I ignored this as I asked Brady, "Can you make sure Collin doesn't kill himself? His baby is going to need him, and if anyone can get through to him it'll be you, his best friend."

Brady slowly nodded and started to make his way toward the room's exit.

"Brady," I called out and he glanced back at me. "Just be careful. His head is going to be really messed up right now. It won't be easy being in his brain."

"I know," he said, his voice hoarse. He left the room and I went over to Lindsey, sorrow in every movement I made. Lifting the bed sheet slightly, I grabbed her cool hand in mine.

"Goodbye Lindz," I whispered, feeling like someone had kicked me in the stomach. I had known her for so long. She and Claire had been best friends since they were five. I couldn't even remember a time when she wasn't around.

What would this mean for Collin? For his little girl? For Amber? For the rest of us? To lose an imprint didn't just affect the wolf…it affected the entire pack.

Feeling like I was a hundred years old, I said to Embry, "Can I go see Claire?"

"Her parents headed down to her room while you were with Collin. You should probably wait till they leave."

"Okay. I'll go sit with my parents."

"They told Ronnie and Stacy they were going to take Kayley home. The poor kid was wiped out."

"Oh…" I stated uselessly, swaying slightly on my feet. I finally said, "I'll just check on Claire after my family leaves and then see to Collin."

"You get any sleep yet?" Embry asked me in concern.

"Last thing I'm thinking about right now is me," I responded.

"Just don't overdo it, okay? The pack needs you to be strong."

"Yes doctor," I said with forced humor. It fell short as we both stared at Lindsey's sheet covered body.

I left the room and headed toward another wing of the hospital. I felt like my veins were filled with cement. Each step I took drained me of a little more energy. I finally stumbled upon Seth and Ryan. They were speaking to each other in low tones.

"I thought he was gay. Remember that guy in Vegas?" Seth muttered.

"I never asked him," Ryan replied. "Though I'm pretty sure he went through a bi-curious phase once. I guess that's over now."

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked and they both jumped, looking at me guiltily.

"Oh, hey Nate," Ryan said. "How's Gracie?"

"Jake said Renesmee took her home," I answered. Uncomfortable silence settled between us and I finally said, "Seriously. What's up?"

"Azra imprinted," Seth stated.

My eyebrows shot up at that. "No kidding. On who? A nurse?"

"Your newborn cousin," Ryan responded.

"Are you shitting me?" I asked.

"Nope," Seth replied. "The nurse came out with the baby shortly after Claire gave birth. The kid opened her eyes, looked right at Azra, and bam."

Wow. Azra was so reserved and quiet. I couldn't help but be curious how he reacted.

"What'd he do?"

"He swore for about ten minutes and then disappeared down the hallway," Ryan told me.

I rubbed my hand tiredly over my face. "He wasn't the only one to imprint tonight."

"Who else? Sean?" Ryan asked.

"No…Collin imprinted on Amber."

They both stared at me with stunned expressions.

"W-What'd Collin do?" Seth asked in a hushed tone.

"He kicked out the hospital window and took off into the woods. Brady's with him now, but if you two can figure out a way to get home without phasing, do it. I don't want you in his head right now."

They both nodded, looking pale. I glanced at the room they were standing outside of. "Are my aunt and uncle still in there?"

"No," Seth said. "They left. They were having a hard time getting a hold of Lindsey's parents so they headed back to Makah. Amber and Ashley are in there now."

"Did anyone tell Quil and Claire about Lindsey yet?"

"Not as far as we can tell," Ryan murmured.

I sighed. It had been such a long day—such a long, horrendous day. Looking at my brothers, I said, "I'm going to check on Azra."

They both nodded and I started down the hallway. I sniffed the air several times and picked up Azra's scent. I walked down a corridor and saw Azra at the end of it. He was standing near a stained-glass window, his expression tormented.

"Hey man," I said as I went over to him. "How are you?"

He shook his head and just stared at the colored glass.

"I thought it would stop," he finally muttered. "I thought it would go away."

"What?" I asked.

"You don't want to hear it," Azra stated.

"Try me anyway."

He looked at me with shame on his face as he confessed, "I've been in love with Claire for years. I fell for her when she started working in Quil's shop when she was fifteen. And no matter how hard I've tried or who I've slept with, I have never been able to stop loving her." His face turned pleading as he tried to explain, "I never acted on it though. I swear. I always knew she was meant for Quil and I respected that. It's just that…"

"You can't help who you love," I said and his face became tortured again.

"I _did_ try to forget her. I buried my feelings deep so no one would guess. But they didn't go away. They still haven't gone away."

"What do you mean?"

"When Jake imprinted on Renesmee, his feelings for Bella stopped. Yet…I'm still in love with Claire. The baby—I feel the connection and I know I would die for her—but my heart still keeps wanting Claire." He rubbed at his chest absently and he looked sick with himself as he mumbled, "What the fuck is wrong with me?"

I went over and patted his shoulder. "Nothing's wrong with you, Az. Every imprint is different. But I think you're being too hard on yourself." He looked at me and I said, "You feel love for Claire because she's the mother of your imprint. Wolves are always drawn to people who share the same DNA. You've probably thought of Claire so much for so long, you're having trouble distinguishing your true feelings. Once your imprint grows up, you'll forget all about her mother."

"Yeah, that's probably true," he said, looking slightly better.

"Listen, I want to check on Claire and Quil then see to Collin—"

"Shit…I'm such a dick. With everything going on with me—how is he?"

I briefly explained what happened with Amber and warned him to stay out of wolf form for the next few hours. He agreed and I left. When I returned to Claire's hospital room, Seth and Ryan told me Amber and Ashley had left. Quil and Claire were finally alone, having family time with their new baby.

"Go home," I ordered them. "And take Azra with you."

They both agreed and left. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door and entered the room. Quil and Claire were lying on Claire's hospital bed with Quil's arms wrapped around his wife. They were staring in fascination at the little baby Claire was cradling.

"Hi," I said, going over to kiss my cousin on the cheek. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she beamed. "Isn't she beautiful?"

I looked at the baby in my cousin's arms. I didn't know much about children, but I had to admit the kid was cute.

"She is at that," I agreed.

"You seen Azra around?" Quil growled. "I need to rip his nuts off."

"Oh, don't be such a hypocrite," Claire said admonishingly.

"He just left," I said as I kept focused on the baby. I could feel Claire's eyes on me.

"What is going on?" she questioned sternly.

"Nothing," I said a little too quickly. "So what's the kid's name?"

"Natalie," Quil replied with narrowed eyes. "Seriously. Why is everyone acting so strange? Ronnie and Stacy came in and Stacy turned into a blubbering mess, telling us to cherish each other before Ronnie dragged her out. Collin and Lindsey have gone MIA. Ashley looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. Amber was so pale and shaky, I thought I was going to have to call a nurse in to help her. And no one will tell us a friggin' thing."

I didn't say anything, and Claire knowing me as well as she did, instantly grew antsy. "Is…Is there a reason why Collin and Lindsey haven't shown up?"

I glanced at my cousin, Quil, and then at the baby. Sighing, I said, "Quil, you should probably put your daughter in her bed."

Claire's grip tightened briefly on her child which resulted in Natalie letting out a squawk of protest.

"Sorry sweetie," Claire murmured, bringing her daughter up to her so she could kiss the baby on her head.

Quil reached over and gently took Natalie, placing her in the bassinet next to them.

"Okay," he said. "What happened?"

Gripping the edge of Claire's mattress hard, I stated, "Lindsey got really sick and they ended up taking her baby out. But…they think she had an aneurysm."

"But she's…" Claire's voice cracked and her chin started to wobble. "She's okay, right?"

All I could do was shake my head. Claire brought a trembling hand up to her mouth as a moan escaped from her. Quil pulled her against him and she turned into his chest. Her body started to shake as heart-wrenching sobs broke from her.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"How's Collin?" Quil asked.

"He—uh—he phased. Brady's with him right now."

I decided not to tell them about the imprint, but something must have shown on my face because Quil said, "What else? Something else happened."

I shook my head but Claire was now looking at me as well. Fuck!

"He imprinted on Amber."

"What?" Claire asked incredulously. And then she lost it. "Was Lindsey even dead yet? Or did he have the decency to wait for the body to go cold first?"

"Honey, he couldn't help it," Quil said soothingly though I could tell he was just as shocked as I had been.

"He just replaced Lindsey like she was nothing," Claire snapped, hitting him on the chest. "Will you do the same to me if I die?"

"Don't ever say that," Quil whispered, looking green.

Claire stopped long enough to burst into tears again. "Oh God…Lindsey!"

Quil wrapped her back in his arms. Feeling awkward, I said, "I'm going to go."

Quil nodded and I left. I went into the forest and stripped, tying my clothes to my leg. Taking a deep breath, I let myself transform…and immediately collapsed to the ground as pain erupted over my entire body. I heard screaming—horrible, endless screaming—as if someone was being repeatedly stabbed without dying. I wanted to cover up my ears to block out the sound, but I couldn't. I crawled across the forest floor, whimpering, unable to move any faster.

I wanted the noise to stop. I wanted the pain to stop. I knew the only way to end it was to kill myself. I needed death to happen. I welcomed it. Please…let me die.

_Collin, no!_ Brady's voice echoed through my head and I realized it wasn't my thoughts I was hearing but Collin's. _You've got your baby. Live for Alexis. She's a part of Lindz and she needs you._

The screams stopped only to turn into long torturous groans. The pain was unbearable.

_Nate_, Brady spoke to me. _You don't need to be here._

_I want to help. _

_Go home and rest. I'll take care of Collin._

I was Alpha, but I wasn't what Collin needed right then. I sensed that the less people witnessing Collin's pain, the better it would be for him. And when he was ready to come back to the land of living, Brady would be the one to guide him there.

_Call me later,_ I said.

_I will, _Brady answered.

I found the strength to get up, phase back, and pull on my clothes. I walked slowly to my house, my body throbbing with every step I took.

So that was what it felt like to lose your imprint…insane hell.

As I reached my property, I realized my lungs weren't functioning properly. I walked halfway across the field and fell to my knees. My breath was becoming labored and I couldn't seem to get air. And though I was in a wide open space, I felt like the world was closing in on me.

I shut my eyes as I tried to steady my breath. Image after image flashed behind my closed eyelids. I saw ten-year-old Sean phase through Jake's eyes. I saw Jason getting slashed by a vampire. I saw Meena's fake smile as she tried to hide her depression from me. I saw Azra's confusion as he tried to adapt to the new change in his life. I saw Claire's pain as she realized her best friend was dead. I saw Collin's desolation.

And I saw Lindsey dead on that fucking hospital bed. She would never going to get to see her daughter grow up. Collin would never be able to hold his imprint again.

My vision blurred and I felt something wet on my face. I pressed the heels of my palms to my eyes and realized I was crying.

So much had gone wrong. So _fucking_ much had gone wrong.

How did we go on from this? How does anyone pick up the pieces of their lives when someone they love is stolen away by death?

I was still trying to get my breath back when I felt Meena's hand glide across my hair. I immediately wrapped my arms around her. Pressing my face into her stomach, I let loose and bawled like a baby as she held me to her.

"It's okay," she murmured.

"But it's not," I muttered. "It won't ever be okay again."

She pulled away and I was about to protest when she sank on her knees so she could wrap her arms around me completely. I shuddered and buried my face into her neck.

"Don't leave me," I pleaded against her soft skin. "Don't ever leave me."

"Never," she assured me.

I don't know how long we stayed like that before Meena finally stood up. She reached for my hand, and I got up to my feet as if I were a puppet and she my master. Wrapping her arm around my waist, she led me back to our house.

I didn't see Gabe, Sean, or Devlin, and I was grateful. I didn't want them to see me like this. Meena led me to our room and drew me over to our bed. I sat down, utterly drained. She helped me take off my clothes and to my surprise, she stripped as well.

She laid on our bed and held her arms out to me. I stretched out next to her and rested my head on the crook of her shoulder while my arm went around her stomach. I was out in seconds and slept most of the day away.

Over the next few days the pack mentally prepared itself for the funeral. We spent our evenings patrolling in case the vampire who escaped us came back. Sean struggled with being a wolf. He had very little control and phased at the drop of a hat.

Collin eventually came out of the woods and hid himself away in his house with his daughter. My mom and the other wolf girls had set up a round the clock watch. Someone was always there to help him or to make sure he and Alexis were eating. Amber stayed away, but that was only because the one time she did show up to offer her condolences, Collin slammed the door in her face.

The day of the funeral, I woke up to gray skies and rainy weather. It was pretty fitting for the mood. I dropped Meena off at Collin's house first. She had volunteered to watch Alexis while the rest of us were at the service.

As I parked outside the little church where the funeral was going to be held, I knew I had some time to spare and I walked over to the nearby cliffs. I stared out at the water as grief weighed heavily on me. I heard footsteps and glanced over to see my father approaching me.

"How you holding up, son?" he asked.

"This really sucks," I stated.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I know."

"I don't understand—" I started to say but stopped.

"You want to know why Collin imprinted again?"

"Not even that, but why he was able to see Amber the whole time when the rest of us couldn't. Did he imprint twice?"

"No," my father said firmly. "You can't imprint twice. While she was alive, Lindsey was it for him. And you know that. We were both in the pack with Collin. We saw what was in his head and heart. Even though he knew Amber while he was with Lindz, his love and loyalty was always to his wife."

"But he felt a connection to Amber."

My father frowned. "I think fate has always had other plans for Collin. When an imprint dies, historically, the wolf always follows. It doesn't matter if they have children or a family they're leaving behind. You just can't live without your imprint. You're so completely connected to that person that when they're severed from this world, you get severed too. But Collin's needed. That little baby needs him. So he was given a second chance at love. No matter how angry and upset he is right now—no matter how much he misses Lindz—he's been given a kernel of hope. And that will keep him going so that he can raise his daughter."

"But I still don't get why he could see her when we couldn't," I remarked.

My dad shrugged sadly. "I think somewhere deep down inside him, his subconscious may have sensed a possible mate in Amber. But his heart only recognized Lindsey. If she hadn't died, Collin would have gone on faithfully loving her. Amber's always been a curiosity for him, but once she was out of sight, he forgot all about her because Lindz was it for him. But now, whether he likes it or not—and at this point he most definitely does not—Amber has become the anchor that will keep him from drifting away."

"Dad," I said hesitantly before I blurted out my greatest worry. "What if I see a girl someday?"

"Nate, I've been married to your mother for over twenty years. I've never seen another woman."

"But what if—"

"It wouldn't matter," my father insisted. "I know Collin's behavior towards Amber sometimes raised eyebrows, but we both know he would never have cheated on Lindsey. And even if another girl did suddenly come into focus for you, would your feelings for Meena change?"

"No," I said instantly. "She's my whole life."

"Exactly. What happened with Collin was an oddity. Through our tribe's entire history, no wolf has ever imprinted more than once. So don't start worrying about the 'what ifs.' You'll waste your life if you do." I slowly nodded and he said, "C'mon, the service is going to start soon."

As we made our way to the outside of the church, my dad left me to find my mom. Seth and Devlin came up to me with slightly amused expressions on their faces given the grave atmosphere.

"What?" I asked.

"Um…" Dev said. "Sean just imprinted."

I closed my eyes as I felt a pounding begin in my temples. I hadn't even wanted him to attend the service today, but I figured the solemnity of the situation would keep him numb.

"On who?" I questioned before I added, "Wait, don't tell me. Meena said that Mac's daughter Lucy was really concerned about him while he was phasing. Was it her?"

"Close," Seth said. "It was on Lucy's little sister, Alison."

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers. "And how old is Alison again?"

"She's four," Devlin replied.

"Of course she is," I remarked. Looking up at the sky in exasperation, I said, "This pack is turning into a freaking daycare."

"But hey, at least you have happy wolves," Seth said and I snorted despite my grief.

"Yeah, because imprinting automatically mean happiness," I replied as I watched my sister and Ryan walk ahead of me into the church, both carefully trying to pretend like they weren't interested in the other.

We entered the church just as the service got underway. Collin sat in the front row, an empty shell despite the fact that Amber was sitting a few rows behind him. He wouldn't even acknowledge her. I knew she was hurt and baffled by his behavior, and I felt pain for her. She'd been sucked into a world she didn't know existed. Now she was a player in this fucked up tale without even knowing it.

After the funeral was concluded, we made our way over to the La Push cemetery. Seth stopped by his dad's grave to brush some dirt off the headstone. Grief-stricken cries taunted my eardrums as we watched Lindsey's coffin get lowered into the ground. As tribal chief, my dad said a few words, and then the cemetery workers started pouring dirt into the grave.

On that conclusion, people began leaving. I started to head to my car when I heard Collin's voice explode across the graveyard

"You'll take my daughter away over my dead body."

I turned to see what was going on and noticed Lindsey's parents standing next to him, looking embarrassed but determined.

"You're a single man raising a little girl," Lindsey's mom said. "We can provide for her in ways that you can't."

"I can provide for my daughter just fine," Collin snapped.

"Yet you abandoned her right after she was born," Lindsey's father said in disdain.

"Yeah, you know what? Fuck you, Ernest. I left the hospital for a day to get my shit together because your daughter just died. And why the hell did it take you two so long to get there? Were you at another social event and too busy to answer your phone?"

"Let's be civil about this," Ernest said, his face stony.

"Civil? You're trying to take my daughter away from me before the dirt has even settled on Lindsey's grave. I'm not letting you have her and that's final."

"If we have to take you to court over this, we will," Lindsey's mother said.

Collin laughed sinisterly. "You can go to hell first."

He walked away from them with fire in his eyes. It was the most alive I'd seen him since Lindsey died. I knew Amber was looking at him from a distance, but he didn't even acknowledge her as he walked over to me.

"Can you give me a ride to my place?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. We got into my car and I put it into drive.

"I'm leaving town," Collin stated as we drove. "I'm taking Lexi and getting the fuck out of here. They've been harping on me since they found out Li-Lindz died." Collin sucked in a pained breath before he continued. "No way are those bastards taking my kid. Lindsey had a miserable childhood. Her father is chief of the Makah tribe. It was always about being proper and looking the part when she was growing up. No warmth. Just appearances. No fucking way is my baby going through that."

"Where are you going to go?" I asked quietly.

"I spoke with my brother the other day. He lives in Alabama and said he could get me a job there. And his wife said she'd look after Lexi until I find a good daycare for her."

I didn't meet his eyes as I questioned, "What about Amber?"

Collin trembled slightly. "I…I can't deal with that right now. I need to get away. I just…Lindz was everything to me. I can't think of Am—of _her_ right now."

I nodded in understanding though I doubt he saw it. Collin closed his eyes and rested his head against the seat. I had a feeling that whether Collin left for a week or ten years, we'd see him again someday. Because like my father said, Collin was given a second chance at love. When he was ready, he'd be back to take it.

We pulled up to his house and walked inside. Meena was holding Alexis in her arms, rocking her in the chair they were in. Collin walked over to her and Meena got up, handing the baby over to him.

"She's so beautiful," Meena said with longing.

"She's her mother's child," Collin replied roughly, anguish lining his face as he stared at his daughter.

Meena squeezed his arm before turning towards me. As I stared at my imprint, some of the fear I'd been feeling since my conversation with my father dissipated.

No matter what happened in my life, I knew one thing.

Meena was it for me. I would never love another. I knew that with every instinct in me.

Feeling stronger just by being near her, I took her hand in mine and said, "Let's go home."

* * *

**End Note**

I've been doing some thinking and I've decided to cut this story short. I think overall interest is starting to wane, and with my own free time not being what it once was, I really want to get my stories wrapped up. Stormy will now end in three chapters.

Thanks to everyone who has continued to leave me feedback. I know a lot of you were wondering about Azra and Amber and hopefully this chapter answered your questions. (By the way, for those of you who follow my twitter account, when I tweeted a few weeks ago that there was going to be a gay couple in the saga, I wasn't talking about Azra.) ;)


	30. Direction

**This chapter contains spoilers to my story, Forbidden Imprint.**

* * *

_The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars_

_William Shakespeare_

_Julius Caesar_

**Chapter 30 – Direction**

_November 9, 2026 – November 10, 2026_

Gabe's POV

I leaned back in my seat and stared out the airplane window as we began to descend. A smile formed on my lips as the plane broke through the clouds and I got a glimpse of Port Angeles. Though I hadn't been back since Meena and Nate's disastrous party months ago, it was satisfying to know that I _could _come back.

I had returned for two reasons. One, I wanted to visit my family. I missed my parents. And my Grandfather Billy and Great-Grandfather Charlie weren't getting any younger.

I also wanted to see Meena. She and Nate had been married for four months now. She should have been happy, but I didn't like the tone of Meena's voice the last time I spoke with her on the phone. She still wasn't pregnant and her spirits were down.

She and I both knew the inevitable was coming. I could feel it. So could Meena. We were becoming immortal. When that happened, her periods would stop and all chances of conceiving would be lost. I figured while I was in town I could do my best to try to cheer her up.

But there was another reason I wanted this visit. As much as I loved Tanya and the Denali clan, sometimes I felt so ostracized being up in Alaska. And though a part of me wanted to deny it, Tanya and I were going through a bit of a rough patch.

I'd been living with her for eight months. The sex was fantastic and I was honored that a beautiful, desirable woman like her wanted me. But when you took away the sex, I was finding we didn't have a lot in common. She was a thousand year old vampire set in her ways. She'd already accomplished a lot in her life. I still felt like I was seeking my purpose.

I was hoping that maybe a visit home would give me a sense of direction. When I was around Tanya, my hormones kicked in and I got easily distracted. Maybe while I was in town, I could figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my existence.

After I exited the plane and rented a car, I headed for Forks. It only took a short drive to get to town, and my heart warmed a little as I saw the welcome sign. I drove to the private drive that led to our family's white house. As I pulled up to my parents' home, I got out of the car and smelled the fresh air. It was good to be back.

I walked into the house and called out, "Hello."

My mom came into the living room from the kitchen. "Gabe! You made it."

She walked over to me and gave me a hug. I towered over her now so I rested my head on top of hers as I hugged her back.

"Hi Mom."

"How was the flight?"

"Good. No problems at all."

"Good," she said, pulling away to pat my cheek.

"Where's Dad?" I asked as I looked around for my father.

"He should be back soon. He's spending some time with Embry."

I noticed my mother frown and I asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just your typical rez drama," she said as she went into the kitchen and I followed. She was putting together a lunch and offered me a sandwich. I smiled as I grabbed a bar stool and sat at the kitchen island. This reminded me so much of when I was a kid. My mom and I would prepare snacks or meals together and get caught up on our day.

"I'd love a sandwich, thanks," I said, reaching over to grab a celery stick from the counter. I popped it in my mouth and chewed on it for a minute before I asked, "So what's the drama with Uncle Embry?"

"Oh…" My mom's eyebrows drew together as she said, "You know how Rebecca and Embry had their daughter Maggie a few months ago. She was baptized this past weekend and a lot of people were in town for it. Leah Clearwater came in with her family. So did Will Samson."

"Will," I said in confusion. "Why do I know that name?"

"He was one of the wolves that phased right before the great Volturi Visit. He changed around the same time Azra, Rafe, and the others did. Will left while I was pregnant with you and Meena. He moved to Hollywood and became a successful talent agent."

"Oh, right. He's helping Devlin's imprint with her music career." I probably knew more about Hanna Becknell's life than I wanted to thanks to my cousin's incessant need to talk about his imprint whenever I spoke to him.

"That's the one," my mom replied. "Anyway, Will showed up at the baptism with his one-year-old son Kyran. He's a single dad and he decided it would be better to raise Kyran in La Push instead of the Hollywood scene. When he got to the service, he took one look at Embry's daughter and imprinted."

"Wow," I said, stunned. "And he has a son who's about the same age? That's kind of awkward."

My mom nodded as she handed me my sandwich. "What's even more awkward is Kyran kept calling Maggie 'pretty.' I hope he grows out of that because Will doesn't need his son falling for his imprint someday."

"Is Will still phasing?" I asked.

"No. He hasn't phased in years. Nate recommended he spend some time with our family in Vancouver." My mom smiled impishly. "If anyone can bring out someone's inner wolf, it would be your Uncle Emmett."

I grinned myself. "So Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Embry have to deal with an imprinted wolf in their lives?"

"Yep," my mom said before taking a small bite of her sandwich. "Rebecca was a little concerned at first, but they both seem okay with it now."

"If they're okay, why's Dad with Uncle Embry?"

My mom's face turned sad. "As it turned out, that wasn't the only imprint that happened this weekend."

"Damn, it never stops around here, does it?" I stated, thinking back to the different imprints that happened this summer with Collin, Azra, and Sean. "Who else?"

"You know how Seth Clearwater was dating Hayley Becknell?" my mom asked and I nodded. "Seth had convinced himself that Clearwaters couldn't imprint and he proposed to Hayley. They planned on announcing the engagement after the baptism. But before he could say anything, Sue called a family meeting. She told her kids that Harry had an affair with Embry's mother when Leah was a toddler and Embry was the result."

"Wait…Uncle Embry is Harry Clearwater's son?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes, but that's not even the strangest part. While Seth was still reeling from the news that Embry was his brother and the fact that Clearwaters _could_ imprint, Embry's half sister Kayla Marie showed up. Seth took one look at her and imprinted."

I let out a low whistle. "Seth imprinted on his brother's sister?"

My mother's face turned stern. "Half sister. She's not related to Seth."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. It just sounds funnier the way I said it. What'd Seth do?"

"He ran for the woods and phased. When he finally calmed down, he broke off his engagement to Hayley. Needless to say she was livid though her anger wasn't nearly as bad as Jared and Kim's."

"And that's why Dad's with Uncle Embry?"

My mom nodded. "You know Embry. He's a pretty quiet guy and he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve. But Leah and Seth didn't exactly welcome the news that they were related to him with open arms. I think he's a little hurt."

I just shook my head as my thoughts turned to my brother-in-law. "Nate's really got his hands full, doesn't he?"

"Yes. And on top off his pack duties, he and Meena are trying to be full time students. He's dealing with a lot right now."

I felt guilty about that. I was an Alpha myself, but my life was easy compared to Nate's. I woke up, had sex with Tanya, read a book, had sex with Tanya, went out hunting, had sex with Tanya.

I stared blankly down at the kitchen island as my mind whispered, _I need more._

"Maybe I'll enroll in school," I muttered aloud.

"I think that'd be a great idea," my mom said, beaming. "What would you study?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Finance, maybe. I could help the family with our accounts."

My mom reached over and squeezed my hand where it lay on the island. "You can do whatever you want to do and I know you'll be brilliant."

I smiled. "You're also biased."

My mother laughed a little. "Maybe, but it's the truth."

I finished off my meal and my mom and I got caught up some more before I decided to head to La Push to see my Grandpa Billy. As I got into my rental and drove to the border, I took a deep breath before I crossed the property line. I knew Ryan said I could return to the rez, but I half expected my car to get swarmed by angry wolves. I relaxed when nothing happened.

I spent the next couple of hours with my grandfather. He looked kind of frail compared to the last time I saw him. He had diabetes and I knew from phone conversations with my father that the disease had been affecting him lately. But Grandfather always seemed larger than life to me despite the fact that he was in a wheelchair.

However, even though my dad was in the area and both my Aunt Rachel and Aunt Rebecca lived on the rez, I had a feeling that he was lonely. I sometimes wondered if he maybe had a thing for my Great-Grandpa Charlie's wife, Sue. For as long as I'd been alive, there had always been tension between Charlie and Billy, which made for awkward family gatherings.

As I left my grandfather's home, I decided on impulse to swing by Sam Uley's house. Maybe Gracie would be around. I was about to knock on their front door when it swung open. I took a cautious step back as Ryan came out, his face becoming thunderous when he saw me.

"You said I could come here," I reminded him.

He nodded and walked by me without a word, leaving the door open.

"Thank you for that, by the way," I called out.

Ryan froze before he slowly turned toward me, his body shaking slightly. I kept my pose relaxed and non-threatening, but my senses were alive, aware of his every move.

"I didn't do it for you," he gritted out. With a nod toward the house, he added, "I did it for her."

I watched his aura go from an unsettled color of brownish black to bright pink. I shook my head as I watched the color blaze.

"Why don't you tell her you love her?" I questioned—because only strong feelings of love could formulate that shade of pink. I knew from a conversation with Gracie a few days ago that she and Ryan were still trying to be friends. What I didn't understand was why. Was he playing a game with her…or with himself?

Ryan's fists curled up by his sides. "Stay out of my business. You get me, Black?"

He swung around on his feet and left, ripping off his shirt as he headed into the nearby trees, his body beginning to blur in his fury.

Shaking my head as I watched him leave, I finally went inside the house. Feeling like an intruder, I said, "Hello? Gracie?"

"Gabe? Is that you?" a voice responded. I followed the sound and walked into the living room.

Gracie stared up at me, her face splitting into a grin. "Hi! What are you doing here?"

I went and sat by her on the couch, giving her a hug. "I was in town and thought I'd stop by to see how you were doing."

As always, my eyes were drawn to her round belly. Gracie was due next week. It still amazed me that there was a life in there. I could hear the baby's heartbeat firm and strong.

"How's the baby doing?" I asked as I reached out to touch her belly. The baby moved on cue. As always, my heart ached a little as I felt the little miracle. I never really thought about kids until Gracie got pregnant. With Tanya unable to have babies and Meena running out of time, I figured I'd live out any parental urges I had vicariously through my best friend.

"The baby's fine," Gracie replied. "Everything is right on schedule."

Her reply was sad and my eyes moved to her face. Gracie looked different, and it wasn't just the weight gain caused from the pregnancy. Her face seemed aged. She no longer resembled the teen I had known. The Gracie before me was a matured version of herself.

I felt my forehead wrinkle as I stared at the color surrounding her. It was gray, indicating depression. "What's up, Gracie?"

"Nothing. I'm just ready for this to be over with," she replied, waving at her belly.

"Hmm," I replied, watching her closely. Obviously she didn't want to talk. I decided to change the subject to see if that would get her to open up. "Did you go to Maggie Call's baptism? I heard it was a hell of a party."

"No," she responded, rubbing her side with a wince. "I was too tired."

I frowned at her. "I don't like your coloring and I know you're unhappy. So why don't you tell me what's wrong? You'll feel better if you do."

"I'm just worried," Gracie finally admitted. "I don't like pain. The idea of giving birth is freaking me out."

I read the expressions on her face and I picked up her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Are you worried because of what happened to Lindsey?"

Her eyes shot to mine before she quickly glanced away. Her only response was to shrug.

"You're going to be okay. I promise."

"How do you know?" Gracie asked.

"Because my Aunt Alice had a vision about you once."

"Oh yeah? Regarding what?" She was so despondent in her reply I nudged her with my elbow until she looked at me.

"It was after the baby was born. She saw you happy. So you're going to get through the birth. You're going to live. And you _will _be happy again, Gracie Emeline."

Gracie's chin wobbled and she covered her face with her hands. I heard her say softly, "I don't want this."

"You don't want what?" I asked as my arm went around her.

"This life," she muttered. "I hate that Ryan's so distant. I want him to love me again and he won't. He's been so wonderful the past few months. He even attended Lamaze classes with me and said he'd be there for the delivery. But he's just been so…impersonal. If he has to touch me for any reason, it's like a stranger is touching me."

I tightened my grip on her. "I don't know what the guy is thinking or what his reasons are for acting the way he is, but I know he loves you. I can read it. Maybe he'll improve after the baby arrives."

I thought my words would offer her comfort. Instead, she hiccupped before breaking out into sobs.

"Shh," I said as my hand caressed her head. "What else aren't you telling me?"

"Gabe…" she whispered shakily. "I'm not ready to be a mom. Not yet."

I pulled away from her and she met my eyes, looking guilty and miserable.

"Does this have to do with Ryan?" I asked. "Are you worried he won't love the baby?"

"No," she replied with a shake of the head. "Ryan has been supportive. I just keep thinking about how I'm going to fuck up this kid's life."

I let out a little release of air that sounded like a laugh. I pulled her against me again. "I think every parent feels like that about their kid. You're going to be fine. You have the love and support of your family. You have Ryan whether either of you want to believe it or not. And you have me. If you ever need a babysitter, I'd be glad to help."

She let out a giggle. "Yeah right. I'll just call you up and say, 'Hey Gabe, can you fly in from Alaska to babysit my kid?' Sure."

"I'd do it, too. Without hesitation," I told her and her face grew serious.

"You're a good friend," she said as she leaned over and hugged me.

I kissed her hair and said, "I love you, too. And I don't want you to worry. You hear me? You're strong, Gracie. You'll get through this."

She nodded and I pulled away. I still didn't like her aura so I spent a couple of hours entertaining her with stories about my family and life in Alaska. When Emily and Sam came home, I decided to leave.

"Give me a call when the baby gets here," I said. "I'll come back and see you."

"I will," she replied as we walked to the front door. "And thanks again."

"Sure."

With another hug, I left and headed back to Forks. I stopped by my Great-Grandpa Charlie's house to say hello, and after spending some time together, I returned to my parents' house. My father was there when I arrived and we got to catch up. I told him my plans to enroll in college, and he was as enthusiastic as my mom had been. We spent our evening looking at the different programs offered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. When it grew late, I headed off to bed, exhausted but happier than I'd been in awhile.

I woke early the next morning so I could head over to Meena and Nate's. When I got to their house, I knocked on the front door and waited for either of them to answer it. My face broke into a huge smile when Meena appeared in the doorframe. Oddly, that feeling lasted about a second before it was replaced with tension.

I frowned as I stared past her. I half expected to see Nate standing behind her. I usually didn't feel this type of edginess unless the other Alpha was around.

"Where's Nate?" I asked.

"And hello to you too," she said as she stepped back so I could enter the house. "He's out with the pack."

"Sorry," I said distractedly as I hugged her. My nerve endings were screaming in protest so I quickly let her go. I looked around the empty house. "He's out this early? It's not even 8 AM yet."

Meena shrugged as we walked into the kitchen. She poured a cup of coffee and handed it to me as we sat down at her kitchen table. "There's been a lot going on with the pack lately."

"Mom told me about Seth and Will," I said.

Meena nodded. "Rumor has it that Seth is going to be retiring from the pack soon. He already sold his shares of the garage to Quil. His imprint lives in Seattle so I'm sure he'll move there to be closer to her, but he hasn't said anything to Nate yet."

"What's the pack think about Seth leaving? He's been with them for so long."

Meena's face turned sad. "Truthfully? I don't know. Everyone has been so numb since Lindsey died."

"Anyone heard from Collin lately?" I knew Collin had moved shortly after his wife's funeral. He was currently living in Alabama.

"Brady talked to him a few days ago. He said Collin didn't sound too good, but Collin's brother got him a job. And with his sister-in-law helping out with Alexis, his in-laws haven't been able to find a good reason to pursue custody."

"That was bullshit they went after Collin's kid so soon after Lindsey's burial."

"I know," Meena agreed. "At least it kept Collin motivated. Brady said his depression is really horrible and he's struggling. But I think the custody threat is keeping him motivated."

"What about Amber? That's the girl he imprinted on, right?"

"Yes," Meena answered, getting up from the table and grabbing some juice out of the refrigerator. "I feel so bad for her. Claire said she's been really depressed too. Of course, Amber doesn't understand that it's because of Collin's absence as well as her grief over Lindsey. The good news is, she's moving down to the rez, which I know will be a relief to the pack since they like to keep an eye out for all imprints."

I looked at my sister questioningly. "What made her decide to move?"

"Claire was a big factor. When she was younger, Claire had wanted to be an artist, but her arm got broken and she wasn't able to draw anymore. She and Amber have been talking lately and they're going to open up a business together. They want to sell Native American artwork to businesses and homes. They're looking to rent an empty store near the _Clearwater Supply Store _right now."

"Didn't Claire just have a baby?" I asked.

Meena rolled her eyes. "Don't be so old-fashioned. Women can work and raise a family, you know. Besides, Claire's got two of the world's best babysitters in Brady and Azra."

"How's Azra handling his imprint?"

"He seems more weirded out by it than the Atearas, but he's adjusting. We all are."

I rubbed at the back of my neck as my unease increased. I looked out the kitchen window, almost expecting Nate to me staring back at me. I nearly jumped when I turned and saw that Meena was right beside me, reaching for my now empty coffee cup.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked as she took a step away from me.

"Nothing. Sorry."

"Is it me? Because Nate's been acting the same way around me lately."

That confused me. "What do you mean?"

A look of hurt crossed her face. "He's just been kind of jumpy around me the past couple of weeks. I'm beginning to get paranoid."

I looked at her in puzzlement before an idea popped in my head. I concentrated on her aura. It was dark indicating worry and depression. That was understandable given everything going on in my twin's life at the moment. But as I stared at her I saw something in the coloring that was so subtle, I would have missed it if I weren't looking for it. There was a bluish hue to her coloring. Gracie had the same sheen to her aura. It indicated life.

I looked from my twin to her stomach. I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent. And there it was. A smile tugged onto my lips.

"Meena, I think you're pregnant."

"What?" she asked, her eyes going wide.

"Your natural scent is off. Not by much so I'm not surprised the others missed it. You're probably only a couple weeks along."

"But…I can't be pregnant."

I raised an eyebrow at her before I leaned in and pressed my head against her stomach. Instinctively, I wanted to back away from her and crouch into a defensive stance. I got out of my chair and put some space between us.

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure you're pregnant. And I think there's something else going on."

"What? Is the baby okay?" Meena asked, her hands flying to her stomach.

I paused before I said, "I think you're carrying an Alpha."

She went still. "You can't tell that. We wouldn't know until the child's phased."

I ran my hand through my hair. "Meens, you said Nate's been acting weird around you lately, right? And ever since I walked into your home, I've felt the presence of another Alpha. It's been kind of freaking me out actually. The baby inside you is a hybrid, not to mention the product of two extremely powerful Alpha lines coming together. I don't think the same rules apply to this kid that applies to other wolves."

"Gabe…" Meena said, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm really pregnant, aren't I?"

I reached over and hugged my sister. "Congrats. I told you it'd happen."

She laughed. "And you're always right."

"About some things," I said lightly just as Nate walked in.

He looked tense and pale. It got even worse when he saw me there. I felt the tension in the air increase, but it caused me to smile for once. Too many Alphas in one space.

"Damn," I muttered to my sister. "That's one powerful Alpha you've got inside you."

"What?" Nate said in confusion and Meena quickly explained my theory. Nate went rigid. "You're pregnant?"

"I think so," Meena stated.

Nate started shaking slightly and I moved cautiously toward my twin. Meena ignored me and went straight over to her husband. She placed her hands on either side of his face and he calmed.

"I'm not Lindsey," she reminded him. "I'll be fine."

Nate shuddered before he buried his face into Meena's neck. I felt like I was intruding so I went back in the kitchen. Just as I was reaching for another pot of coffee, the telephone rang. Nate came into the room to answer it, his arm wrapped around Meena's waist.

"Hello," he said before his forehead furrowed. "How long ago…okay, I'll gather the pack and head that way."

He hung up the phone and said, "That was Leah. She was driving through Portland and she picked up the scent of vampire. She said it smelled like the one we had chased a few months ago."

"Go ahead," Meena said. He gave her a quick kiss and left. Meena and I talked for the next couple of hours and then I had to head for the airport.

As I flew back to Alaska, I felt filled with a sense of purpose. I was going to be an uncle and I also had school to look forward to. When the plane touched down a few hours later, I was eager to see Tanya again. She was waiting for me in the airport and I felt my heart lurch when I saw her.

"Hello," she said, smiling softly.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to me. I pressed my lips against hers before leaning back slightly and saying, "Hi yourself."

She cupped my cheek. "You look better. This trip was good for you."

"It was good to see everyone again, but I'm glad to be back. I missed you."

Her face turned coy and my body hardened. "How much?"

"Get me out of here and I'll show you."

We quickly left and got into Tanya's car. As we drove home, I told her about my plans to enroll in school and she agreed that it was a good idea. When we pulled up to the house, we glanced at each other, and I knew we wouldn't last long. We hurried out of the car and I grabbed her hand. Instead of going into the house where I knew the others would be, we headed into the snowy forest. We made it as far as a little clearing we frequented.

I pushed Tanya against a tree and sucked on her neck even as my hands went to the skirt she was wearing. It was loose fitting and flowed just past her knees. I moved my hands to the bottom of the hem and pushed up, my palms running along the backs of her thighs until I reached the thong she was wearing.

"Have I ever told you how much I love this skirt?" I asked as I tore her flimsy panties away.

"Why do you think I wore it?" she murmured and I growled my approval.

Sinking onto my knees, I ignored the dampness of the snow and stuck my head under her skirt. Her legs parted for me and I placed my mouth against her core. I relished the taste of her, running my tongue up and down her before pushing my way past her puffy lips and going straight into the heart of her. She clasped my head to her through the skirt and held onto me as I pleasured her. When she finally hit her peak, I didn't slow down.

I pulled my head away and grabbed her waist. Moving her to the ground, I shed my jacket and pushed my jeans out of the way, freeing myself so that I could enter her. When our bodies joined, they shuddered together in sweet reunion. I drove into her until I felt her shatter around me. It triggered my own response and I shouted out a guttural sound as I pulsed inside her.

As I was coming down from my ecstatic high, I became aware that something else was in the forest with us. Whatever it was, the thing was coming towards us fast. I was immediately on edge and I pulled out of Tanya, quickly adjusting my clothes as I crouched protectively over her. I turned my head and froze as a large wolf appeared.

It was gray in color and white around the face. He was huge, though not as big as the other wolves I'd known. Certainly not as big as me. He turned his eyes to Tanya and began growling. The wolf recognized the presence of a vampire so I knew he was a Quileute wolf.

"Tanya," I stated calmly. "Get into the house."

"I don't want to leav-"

"Go," I ordered. She scrambled up from the ground and took off. The wolf began to growl ferociously and he started to lunge after her. I grabbed him by the waist and whipped him around, using my strength to throw him across the clearing. The wolf landed hard on the ground, but he immediately crouched down low, snapping his teeth at me. I knew I should phase, but if I did, I'd probably end up killing the wolf and I couldn't live with that. Especially as he was probably one of Nate's wolves.

Before that thought even finished registering in my head, the wolf jumped at me. I ran toward him and grabbed him by the side, throwing him down and flipping him on his back. I let out a warning growl and moved my teeth near his neck. He stilled and I knew this was no warrior. He probably only just phased.

"I don't want to hurt you," I told him. "I—"

I was suddenly distracted by the wolf's scent. As I leaned in closer, I picked up the very strange smell of jasmine. What the fuck? Was this a trick? Did someone know how I reacted to the scent and doused the wolf in some kind of perfume? I let out a vicious snarl and saw the wolf begin to shake. I picked him up by the shoulders and slammed him down to the ground again. He yelped in pain.

"Who sent you?" I yelled, my hand moving to his throat. "The Volturi?"

I could almost taste the fear coming off him and I relented a little. It was enough for the wolf to squirm out of my hold. He was back on his feet again. Before he could get away, I grabbed him from behind, lifting the massive mutt so I could lock my arms around him.

"Phase!" I snapped, the Alpha tone coming out of me. I was momentarily startled. I'd never used my Alpha power like that before. Even more surprising was that the wolf listened.

I didn't let go as the wolf changed shape…which is how I knew the wolf in my arms was female instead of male. Long tangled hair fell down soft shoulders and her feminine frame fit against me perfectly. And goddamn if her scent didn't get stronger, putting me completely under her spell. I felt my body react accordingly and she froze. I knew I was being inappropriate, but for some strange reason, I didn't want to let her go. That's when I realized one of my hands was pressed against her breast.

"Oh…" I said, quickly releasing her and stepping away before stating stupidly, "You're a girl."

"Wow…you're a fucking genius," she returned in a flowery voice. She stepped away from me and crossed her one arm over her breast as her other hand covered her lower half. She turned to face me, her body language indicating nervous distrust…

And I was lost as I looked into her eyes.

Snip went my feelings for Tanya. Snip went my connection to Meena and my parents. I felt an invisible chain shoot out from me and wrap firmly around this girl in front of me as she became the very center of my world.

I was pretty sure she felt it, too. I saw the shock and confusion in her eyes. Her hands dropped to her sides as she shook her head, taking several cautious steps away from me.

"Don't," I whispered, reaching out my hand to stop her, but I didn't touch her because she was no longer moving away from me.

"I don't understand," she said.

"You felt it too, right? You imprinted on me?" I asked hopefully.

"What does that mean?" she questioned, tears in her voice. She looked so scared, my heart ached to hold her in my arms once more. Before I got the chance, she remembered that she was naked and tried to unsuccessfully cover herself again.

"Sorry," I said, remembering my manners. "Here." I took off my shirt and handed it to her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, but took it anyway.

"It stinks like that woman. It makes my nose burn," she muttered even as she put it on. The shirt was long on her and she pulled it over her knees so that she was covered.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to ignore her comment about Tanya. I didn't want her thinking about what she'd just stumbled upon. And _I_ couldn't think about Tanya right now.

"What's yours?" she questioned instead, lifting her chin.

"Gabe…Gabe Black."

Her face turned to surprise. "I-I know your name. You're related to Jacob Black, aren't you?"

"That's my dad," I answered. "How do you know him?"

"My mom," she said.

I was momentarily distracted by her eyes. They were an amazing shade of blue that seemed to brighten when they glistened with tears. But I forced myself to focus. "Who's your mom?"

She looked at me nervously before glancing away. "Leah Gordon."

"Leah Gordon?" I was startled for a minute. "You mean Leah Clearwater?"

"That was her maiden name, yes."

"You're Leah's daughter." I shook my head in disbelief.

Dumb fucking luck.

I just imprinted on the daughter of my father's beta. From what I knew of Leah, she hated vampires almost as much as she hated anything to do with the wolf pack. Leah never even socialized with the pack if she could help it. I knew she talked on the phone with my parents a lot, but I think I'd only met her a few times considering I'd lived in Vermont most of my life. As I strained my brain, I had a vague recollection of visiting Leah when I was little. She'd just had a little baby and we'd given her a toy wolf. I also remembered the baby had smelled really good…like jasmine. That explained where the addiction had come from.

"Does your mom know that you phased?" I asked.

Her chin started to wobble as she covered her face with her hands. "I don't even know what happened. I haven't been feeling well lately and my mom showed up at school today and pulled me out. Then I heard her on the phone with my Uncle Seth when we got home. She kept saying the signs were there. And I walked outside my house and I smelled something really bad—" She flinched as she lifted the shirt slightly off her frame. "—It smelled like this and then I was running, but I wasn't myself and—"

"You phased," I told her gently. "Has your mom ever told you about the legends of the Quileute tribe?"

"She…she told me after I hit a growth spurt this summer. But it was just stories, right? This stuff can't be true."

I couldn't resist any longer. I walked over and took a piece of her hair and wrapped it gently around my finger. It was pure silk.

"Tell me your name," I whispered.

"Lilly."

"Lilly," I repeated reverently.

"Gabe?" Tanya's voice called out and I jerked away from Lilly as if I'd been electrocuted.

I saw the revulsion return to her eyes seconds before she ripped off her shirt and threw it at me.

"You're not right," she muttered. "This…this isn't right."

"Lilly, wait," I pleaded.

"She—that _person_—is your girlfriend. You were _with_ her. I-I saw you. She's the enemy." Lilly wiped at her face angrily as tears slipped down her cheeks. She sniffed the air and stated, "And you're like her."

"No!" I said. "I mean, sort of, but—"

"You're dangerous," Lilly whispered.

"No! I would never hurt you—"

She turned to leave, shaking so hard she was blurring. I reached for her and held onto her arm.

"Let me just explain," I begged.

"Get away from me!" she screamed right before she shoved me away and I had to let her go or risk hurting her. We stood staring at each other for endless seconds and then she looked past me over my shoulder and I knew Tanya was there.

Lilly's upper lip curled and she let out a predatorial growl. It was menacingly enough that I stepped protectively in front of Tanya. That was enough to make Lilly's eyes flash to mine, a mix of hatred and disgust in her gaze. She turned and ran into the forest. Mid-step she burst into wolf form and headed back the way she came.

Swearing, I shed my clothes before I also changed. I followed the pull to her, calling out her name, begging her to stop. But she didn't listen. And I realized she couldn't hear me. Seeing me protect a vampire made Lilly realize I wasn't a person she could trust. Her loyalty wasn't to me. That realization made me slow down. With my heart breaking, I watched my imprint disappear into the woods.

_Nate,_ I called out, using my Alpha connection and hoping that he was in wolf form.

_Gabe?_

I sighed in relief. _Leah's daughter just phased. I ran into her. She's upset but she should be heading in your direction. Please…please look after her._

Nate paused and then…_Holy shit! Did you imprint on her?_

_Just look after her._

_You did. I can feel it. _Nate went silent for a few seconds and then he said, _I just connected with Lilly. Not sure why her loyalties aren't to you if you imprinted._

_Long story,_ I muttered.

_Wouldn't have anything to do with you having sex with your vampire and then protecting said vampire, would it?_

_Could you please give me a break here?_

I sensed Nate's amusement and I wanted to deck him.

_Sorry, _he said._ You've got your work cut out for you, that's all._

_Tell me about it,_ I grumbled as I slowly headed back to Tanya's house. I couldn't think of it anymore as my home.

_I'll take care of her,_ Nate promised. _I'll make sure she gets back to Leah safely._

_Thank you,_ I replied before I arrived back at the clearing I had just left. Tanya was waiting for me, a devastated expression on her face.

I phased back but found I couldn't look at her as I pulled on the clothes I had haphazardly thrown on the ground.

"That was a pretty girl," Tanya said and I nodded. I heard her sigh before she said, "Gabriel, look at me."

I did as I was told and heard her suck in a breath.

"You did that thing, didn't you?" she questioned sadly. "That type of bonding your father did on your mother."

"Yes," I whispered.

She looked away but not before I saw her pain. My heart hurt as I stared at her. I loved Tanya; she'd been an important part of my life for so long. I couldn't help but wonder though if a part of me was drawn to her because on a subconscious level she reminded me of Lilly. Her perfume was jasmine just like Lilly's natural scent. A scent that I had memorized into my senses from the second I met Lilly when she was a baby.

I had a feeling that my life had been leading to Lilly this entire time. It probably was why I'd been feeling so dissatisfied recently. I'd been searching for a purpose. Now I had it. I just had to find a way to get Lilly in my life.

Tanya made a scoffing noise. "It's funny, no? They all said I would break _your_ heart."

"I'm so sorry, Tanya," I said softly.

She turned and walked slowly away. I wanted to go after her—to take away the pain I had caused both of us—but I couldn't. And my body trembled from the heartache and guilt I felt.

But I had to let her go. We both knew it.

Because somewhere, running scared in the woods, my future awaited me.

* * *

**End Note**

Someone once asked me if I'd ever have a double imprint in my stories (two wolves imprinting on each other), so there ya go. I don't know who came up with the concept of double imprinting originally because I've seen it in a lot of fics, but it's not my idea so credit goes to whoever did it first.

I'm not going to go any further into Gabe and Lilly's storyline in Stormy, but I never intended to. Instead, I'm going to wrap their story up in Absent. (LOL, if you've been reading that story, Gabe's imprint shouldn't have been a big surprise as it's been foreshadowed.) The next two chapters of Leah's story will cover the events that were discussed in this chapter. If you want to find out what happens between Gabe and Lilly, look for the upcoming chapter "Gabriel." It'll lead off where this chapter ended. If you haven't read Absent before, it's really a collection of one shots that go over the different events in Leah's life, so you shouldn't get lost if you decide to jump right in.

And if you read Forbidden's epilogue, you now know who the missing Uley was at Maggie's baptism. Never said a Uley died…I only said one was missing. ;)


	31. Choices

_But love is blind, and lovers cannot see_

_The pretty follies that themselves commit._

_William Shakespeare_

_The Merchant of Venice_

**Chapter 31 – Choices**

_November 12, 2026 – May 29, 2027_

Ryan's POV

I woke up feeling restless. It had been a busy week for the pack. First off, we'd finally managed to kill that leech who'd escaped us a few months ago. Then we found out Meena was pregnant with an Alpha. And finally, we got the addition of a new wolf, Lilly Gordon. She lived in Portland and Nate was spending a lot of his time commuting between here and Oregon. He promised Leah that he would look out for his little cousin, and despite the fact that Lilly and Gabe imprinted on each other, she was still going to be in our pack.

Of course, with Lilly being in our pack that meant Gabe had a connection to us because we always protected our imprints. I personally didn't give a shit if the guy had found his soul mate. I'd never forgive him for almost killing Gracie.

With everything going on, it wasn't a surprise that I was feeling out of whack. Still…

I got up from Azra's couch and put my sheets away. I was going to seriously need to get my own place one of these days, but Azra didn't seem to mind me being there, and I think we both could have used each other's company after everything that had happened since this summer. Azra came out of his room dressed but disgruntled looking. He murmured a quiet "good morning," before he went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee.

"Off to see Natalie?" I asked and he nodded.

Az tried to spend as little time at the Atearas' house as possible. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the whole imprinting on Quil and Claire's baby, but he could hardly avoid Natalie. From what Quil told me, the baby cried a lot when he wasn't around, and Azra needed to be near her too. For reasons he wouldn't tell me though, he wasn't embracing this imprint whole-heartedly.

I shook my head as I stared at my best friend. He was so closed off to his imprint. But I couldn't judge him. God knew I fucked up my relationship with Gracie in every which way possible. I abandoned her when she was a confused teenager. I withheld information from her so that when I finally did come around to telling her about the imprint, she ran off and slept with her ex. And when she told me she was pregnant, I rejected her and told her I couldn't even look at her.

For as long as I lived, I didn't think I'd ever forgive myself for how I handled things with Grace. At least Azra had one thing going for him whether he knew it or not. The Atearas had a very strict rule—well, Claire did. Both Brady and Azra had to tell the girls about the wolf pack and imprinting from an early age. Quil hadn't told Claire about the pack or his imprinting on her until she was an adult. She wanted to make sure her girls grew up knowing the truth. Brady told Kayley bedtime stories about the pack every night. I think Azra reluctantly did the same whenever he tried to get Natalie to sleep, though she was still too young to understand him. How different things would have been if I'd told Gracie the truth from an early age. We sure as shit wouldn't be stuck in this weird limbo like we were now.

After Gabe and I had our confrontation at Nate's wedding, I went off and did some thinking. And the conclusion I came up with was that I was still completely in love with Gracie. The time after she slept with Zack but before we found out about the pregnancy was the happiest time of my life.

I realized I had a choice to make. I could either let her go. Or I could suck it up and accept her for all her faults because I certainly wasn't friggin' perfect. If I let her go, I would go on living my life in peace albeit misery. Or I could stay on the crazy Gracie Express, enjoying all the ups and downs…because isn't that what makes life worth living? If I searched the entire planet, I'd never find anyone that frustrates me, moves me, or touches my heart like Grace.

So I came up with a game plan. I told her we could be friends. I figured after everything I'd said and done after finding out about the pregnancy, it was better if we didn't try to jump back into a relationship. I needed time to adjust to her pregnancy. And she needed time to forget how I'd reacted to it. I was going to take it nice and slow. To use one of Sam's favorite terms…I was going to _woo_ my imprint. We started hanging out again and I took her to her different doctor's appointments and Lamaze classes.

But instead of getting her to fall in love with me, she seemed happy with the status quo…or maybe I was reading it wrong. It was hard for me to get a feel of her emotions at the moment. I was hopeful that she was just as miserable over our relationship as I was, but her source of misery could have been caused by the pregnancy. Though she was due any day, she still seemed emotionally detached from what was going on with her. Claire and Emily had wanted to throw her a baby shower, but she refused. Instead, she had used money she made from working part time at the _Clearwater Supply Store _to buy a secondhand crib. She was so determined to do everything on her own. As she said to me once, she made her bed, now she had to go and lie in it.

I felt an uncomfortable pain in my side and I rubbed at the skin as my edgy feeling increased. Going into the bathroom, I took a quick shower. Azra was already gone by the time I finished getting dressed so I headed over to the Uley house. I noticed Sam and Emily's cars were gone. Sam was probably doing a construction job for Jared and Emily was most likely doing errands. I knew Gracie was home though. I could feel the pull to her. Letting myself in, I followed the sound of music playing.

I walked into the living room and found her lying on the floor doing some stretches. At least she was taking care of herself. Ever since Nate's wedding, she had been exercising and eating right.

"Hey," I said casually, thankful that she couldn't hear how my heart sped up just by seeing her.

She gave me a startled look before she carefully rolled on her side and grabbed the TV controller muting the volume.

She glanced back at me and smiled. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

_I needed to be near you._ "I just wanted to check in with you."

"Nothing's changed," she said. "Still the size of a house."

"Emily out doing errands?"

"Yeah, she had to go to the grocery store," Gracie explained. She sat up and winced and I was on instant alert.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Just having mild contractions."

Mild contractions! I raced over to her. "What should I do? Do I need to get you to the hospital?"

She looked at me and laughed. "Take it easy there, Ry. They're every forty-five minutes or so. Once they get a little closer, then we can go."

"I can't believe Emily left you when you were in labor," I muttered before I eyed her closely. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"She's getting me Zingers, Ryan…Zingers. The ones with raspberry frosting and coconut." She looked up at the ceiling with longing on her face. "I want one so freaking bad right now."

I pulled my cell phone out of my pant pocket and held it my hand, my thumb hovering on the speed dial. Gracie looked at me and rolled her eyes.

"Can you help me up from the floor?" she questioned, raising her hands out to me.

"Sure," I replied. Stuffing my phone back in my jeans, I bent over and easily lifted her off the ground. She made her way over to the couch and sat down. I stared at her helplessly.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Sit down," she said, patting the seat next to her. "We can watch Family Feud or something."

I found myself smiling at her despite my nerves. We watched TV for the next hour. I kept an eye on Gracie and noticed that she was wincing and looking at the clock on the DVD player with more frequency. Just as I was about to demand we go to the hospital, Emily walked in carrying a couple of grocery bags.

"Hi Ryan," she said when she saw me.

"Gracie's in labor," I blurted out and Gracie gave me an exasperated look.

Emily put the bags on the kitchen counter and came calmly into the living room. I was ready to rip my hair out.

"How far are the contractions?" she asked her daughter.

"About every half hour."

"We should get her to the hospital," I stated. Emily shook her head and went back into the kitchen, putting the food away.

"Mom, did you get my Zingers?" Gracie asked.

"Ryan make yourself useful," Emily said, handing me a box of the Hostess' snacks.

Anxiety filled every muscle in my body as I walked into the living room. Gracie practically ripped the box out of my hand as she opened it, eating one of the treats with pure enjoyment on her face. I stopped and stared at her, completely distracted. Even with a crumb of coconut on the corner of her mouth, she looked beautiful.

Without thinking about it, I leaned over and wiped the food from her mouth with my thumb, bringing it to my mouth and licking it away. Gracie stared at me for a moment, before she sucked in a sharp breath. Her eyes darted to the clock again.

"Mom, I just had another one. It was fifteen minutes after my last contraction."

I glanced at Emily. She went over to her phone and called someone who I figured out was the doctor. She repeated what Gracie had told her and hung up.

"He wants us to keep track of them for a little bit longer," Emily explained. "If they persist at every fifteen minutes, I'm to take you in. And Ryan, if you're going to pace like that, go into the hallway and do it before you wear out my nerves."

I realized I was pacing and stopped, going back over to the couch and sitting down next to my imprint. I grabbed Gracie's hand and held it as we watched TV some more. I saw her stare at me for a moment before she turned her head to the screen. I knew when the next contraction hit, because her grip tightened. When another contraction hit again fifteen minutes later, we decided to head to the hospital. Emily made a quick call to Sam and Nate to let them know as I went into Gracie's room and grabbed the suitcase she had prepared.

We made our way to the hospital in Forks. It was more of an extravagant clinic than hospital, but it was well equipped to handle Gracie's labor. Once she was checked in and dressed in a hospital gown, we waited…and then we waited some more.

I tried to keep Gracie occupied with stories, or we watched more television. As time passed, she grew more and more quiet, which made me nervous. It wasn't until she was twelve hours into the labor that things started to progress. I could tell she was in pain even with the medication they had given her, and my heart hurt every time I saw her grimace. When it got to the pushing phase, Gracie chose for Emily and me to stay in the room with her, while Nate, Meena, and Sam went in the family waiting room.

When the baby started to come out, I let Gracie hold my hand and she squeezed it hard. Thank goodness I healed fast. But I knew when she started feeling tired as the labor went on. I knew it, because I could feel her exhaustion as if it were my own. At one point, I even started to get dizzy.

"Ryan, stay strong," Emily ordered as Gracie groaned. I shook my head to clear it.

"The baby's almost here," the doctor said and I saw Gracie's chin tremble as she tried to fight back tears.

"Gracie," I said and her eyes met mine. "You can do this. Now push."

She nodded and took a deep breath. With one great effort, the room was filled with the sound of a newborn crying.

"You have a son," the doctor announced. She went to put the baby on Gracie's stomach and Grace instantly held out her hands in protest.

"No," she said. "No, please. I don't want to see him."

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the bed. I saw the doctor frown and look at Emily who nodded. With a slight shrug, the doctor handed the baby over to the nurse who took the baby away.

"Gracie," I whispered. She flinched but kept her eyes closed.

"Honey," Emily murmured, running her hand over Gracie's sweaty hair.

Gracie's eyes flew open at her mom's touch. "Go ahead."

Emily paused. When she spoke, her voice was choked with tears. "Are you sure about this? Are you absolutely positive?"

"Yes," Gracie said, before her eyes focused on the ceiling. "Call them."

Emily nodded and briefly met my bemused gaze before she left the room. The doctor cleaned Grace up and he and the nurse left, taking the baby with them.

"Gracie," I said imploringly. "You have to see your son."

"No," she whispered so faintly I could barely hear her. "I can't."

"Grace…"

"I'm giving the baby up for adoption, Ryan."

I watched a tear seep from the corner of her eye. It trailed down past her temple and disappeared into her hairline.

"But…" I said slowly. "You can't. What if he phases someday?"

"That's why I'm giving him to a wolf who will know what to do."

"What?" I asked. "Who?"

"My mom told me about your friend Tristen and his wife Charlotte. She said they can't have kids, and I spoke with them both the other day. T-They seem really nice."

I stared at her blankly, completely shocked. "What about the pack?"

"Meena's pregnant with an Alpha. Nate, Gabe…even Jacob and my dad can feel it. And when Carlisle came into town and tried to do an ultrasound this week, the machine blew up. Whatever Meena is carrying is strong. It's not going anywhere. But even if something _did_ happen to her baby, Gabe's imprinted. The pack has options now and its future is secure."

"Gracie," I said, coming to stand closer to her. She refused to meet my eyes, instead keeping her gaze steadily on the ceiling above her. "You don't have to do this," I insisted. "You have support. Your parents will help you…I-I'll help you. I won't abandon you, Grace."

Tears made her eyes glisten for a moment but she blinked them back. "Ryan, I've thought about this nonstop ever since I first found out I was pregnant. I'm not ready to be a mom. Every instinct inside me is telling me that. What kind of life can I give a baby? I have no college education. I'd have to work some crappy job just to support him, and I'd be working all hours of the day. And then someone else would be raising my son, not me. I'd struggle just like my Grandma Uley did when she raised my dad. I know my dad felt lonely growing up because he never saw his dad and his mom was always working two jobs, trying to keep them afloat."

She was still staring vacantly above her, and I moved my hand so that it was resting next to hers on the bed. Gracie didn't seem to notice as she continued. "All I've been thinking about these past few months is how I don't want to saddle someone else with my burden. And that's when it really dawned on me. The fact that I can—" her voice broke but she pushed on, her voice raspy—"the fact that I can even refer to that poor, sweet baby as a burden means that I'm not ready be his mom. He deserves so much better than what I can give him. Ryan, I've hurt so many people in so many ways, but I refuse to hurt my son. I want him to go to home where he'll be cherished and given every opportunity in life."

"What if I asked you to marry me?" I blurted and knew it was a mistake by the way Gracie flinched.

"Thank you, Ryan, but that's not a proposal I can accept," she responded stiffly. "If I ever decide to get married and have a family, it'll be because I'm ready, not because I have to. And you deserve better, too."

Gracie was doing her best to put up a brave front, but I could see the pain in her eyes. God, there was so much pain. And I just added to it by my careless proposal. Even if I told her the truth—that I loved her more than life itself—she'd just believe I was telling her that out of pity or misguided obligation. Fuck my stupidity.

What really broke my heart was that she was trying to be so amazingly strong about a decision that I knew would haunt her for the rest of her life. Before I could say anything else, a nurse came in and helped Gracie into the shower. Another one came in and changed the bed sheets. When Gracie returned looking tired and miserable, she carefully laid back down. With a sigh, I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her much to her surprise.

"What are you doing?"

"Scoot over."

She did as I instructed and I sprawled out so I was lying beside her. I reached for her then and carefully brought her to my chest. She went rigid, but I didn't let her go as I wrapped her into my embrace.

"Gracie, are you one hundred percent sure about this?"

"Yes."

I closed my eyes. "Okay then."

I felt her body slowly start to relax. And when the tension left her, the mental barrier broke inside her and she started to sob. I knew that I'd never forget the sound of her weeping in that moment. Each teardrop was like a permanent scar against my heart.

She finally fell into an exhausted sleep, and because I was unwilling to let her go, I drifted off as well, putting just enough space between our bodies so that she wouldn't get overheated. I was woken hours later by Emily who had crept back into the room.

"How's she doing?" she whispered.

I got carefully off the bed. Even unconscious, Gracie felt my absence. She made a little noise of protest in her sleep, before she fell back into a deep slumber.

I walked over to Emily and said quietly, "She's devastated. But I think she'll survive."

Emily looked down at her daughter sorrowfully before she glanced back at me. "Tristen and Charlotte just got here. They saw the baby already and now they're with their lawyer signing the adoption papers. Gracie will need to sign them once she's awake."

I nodded and Emily came over and squeezed my arm.

"You look terrible. It's morning now. Why don't you get some coffee or something? I'll sit with her until you get back."

I nodded and left the room. I went to the restroom and ran some water over my face before I bought myself a cappuccino and bagel. After I finished my breakfast, I found myself heading toward the nursery. As I glanced in the window, I saw that Tristen was inside, speaking with a nurse. He saw me and gave me a quick wave before he came out into the corridor.

"Ry, how are you?" he said, giving me a hug.

"Can't complain, I guess," I muttered in a voice that sounded dead to my own ears. "Where's Char?"

"In our rush to get here, I forgot my cell phone and Charlotte didn't bring her charger. She's using the pay phone down the hall to call her family." He paused before saying, "We were so surprised to get the call from Emily last night. She and Sam knew we were looking to adopt and…I can't even begin to tell you how grateful we are."

"Are you going to be prepared for a baby?" I asked, feeling protective over a kid that wasn't even mine.

"When we decided to adopt months ago, Char turned one of our rooms into a nursery. I told her not to get her hopes up, but she was so insistent, I didn't want to break her heart by telling her we should wait. I guess her women's intuition was trying to tell her something." Tristen's tone was light, but I barely cracked a smile. He frowned as he looked at me carefully. "Are you sure about this, Ryan?"

"It's Gracie's decision," I stated.

"You know what I mean," Tristen replied.

"I think…" I started to say and then rubbed my hand over my face tiredly. Looking at Tristen, I said, "I think that kid's lucky to have you as his father."

And I meant it, too. Tristen was a good man. If anyone deserved to have a child it was Charlotte and him. He smiled awkwardly before patting me on the back.

"So what are you going to name him?" I asked as I walked to the nursery glass and peered in.

"Brayden Carl…Carl is after Char's dad," Tristen replied.

"That's a good, strong name," I said with a slight smile.

Tristen examined my face carefully before saying, "Do you want to see him?"

I glanced at him in surprise, and then found myself saying yes without even realizing it. Tristen went over to the nursery and knocked on the door. A nurse answered and let us in. Tristen took me over to a bassinet. I looked in and saw Gracie's baby wrapped tightly in a blue blanket.

"Can I have a minute with him?" I asked Tristen. He nodded and went over to the baby, picking his son up carefully. Carrying him over to me, he placed the baby gently in my arms.

"I'll be right outside," Tristen told me. I nodded and he left. The nurses were talking softly to each other at their station nearby. I sat down in the rocking chair that was in the room and held Gracie's little boy. The baby looked at me for a moment, then yawned and fell asleep, turning his little face into my warm chest.

My heart turned over as I observed his long dark eyelashes resting against his cheeks. I picked up his tiny hand with my finger and ran my thumb over his knuckles, memorizing the soft dimples in his skin.

"It would have been a privilege to raise you," I whispered as I watched his little chest rise and fall on each breath he took. "I'm sorry I didn't welcome you when I first heard about your existence. But I want you to know I would have been proud to call you my son."

I bent my head slightly, breathing in his sweet baby scent. I half smiled as I realized he still smelled like orange blossoms.

"I don't want you to hate Gracie for giving you away," I continued quietly. "The truth is…I love your mom. You want to know why? She's got a spark inside her that can light up the world. She just needs her chance to shine. And she loves you too much to put you in an environment where she's not ready to be a mother. But don't you ever doubt her love for you because if she didn't love you, she wouldn't have had you in the first place."

My eyes ran over his features, noticing the similarities to Gracie. "Just between you and me…giving you away is the most adult thing I've ever seen Grace do. She's finally learned to put someone else first. It might break her heart, but she's giving you to a family that's been _waiting_ for the honor of raising you. You know something else? Tristen and Charlotte are going to be amazing parents. You're a lucky kid. You are going to have a _great_ life."

I stood up and placed him gently back in his cradle. He made a little mewing noise and then settled back into a deep sleep. I ran a finger across his soft cheek.

"You take care, Brayden Carl." I was about to leave but I paused to look back at him. "One more thing. If your dad ever gives you too much of a problem, call me. We used to live together, and trust me when I say I've got enough dirt on him to make his hair turn gray."

The baby's eyelids fluttered as if he heard me and I smiled slightly. I left the nursery and spoke with Tristen and Charlotte, who had returned while I was with the baby. We got caught up for a few minutes before we went to Gracie's room where Sam, Emily, and the lawyer were waiting. Gracie was awake by the time I got back, and the adoption papers were signed. I stood by her side the entire time. She smiled and was polite as Charlotte hugged her and thanked her repeatedly. But once everyone left, the smile fell from her face again and the tears returned. And once again, I held her in my arms as she cried silently.

Things didn't improve much after she was finally released from the hospital. She was too dammed quiet. I didn't know if she was depressed or taking time to be introspective about her life. A few weeks after she gave birth, she earned her high school diploma with honors, but when Emily and Sam offered to throw her a party, she refused.

Same thing when December rolled into January and Gracie's eighteenth birthday arrived. Instead of having a big event, she chose a low key family gathering. As the season turned into spring, Gracie remained a shell of her former self. My concern for her went from worry to full blown daily panic. No matter what I said or did, I couldn't reach her.

I wondered repeatedly if she regretted giving the baby up. I knew Brayden was doing well. Tristen sent me occasional pictures of the kid. He was a bright child…and so happy. Whenever I opened an email from Tristen, Brayden's smile was always inside waiting for me. But Gracie never made a move to try to regain custody, and the one time I asked her if she regretted giving up her baby, she looked at me in confusion and said, "No…I did the right thing."

It wasn't until summer started to approach that Gracie finally began to smile again. The first time I heard her truly laugh for the first time in months, I walked around for a week with a grin on my face. And though I didn't think it was possible, I fell even more in love with her. She had matured into an adult over the past year. Gracie was beautiful inside and out. A part of me loved her for giving Tristen, of all people, her baby. Aside from Azra, he was one of my best friends who deserved that happiness. But what really amazed me about Gracie was her strength. Giving the baby up had taken a lot of courage…more than I think _I _even had.

I just wished the decision hadn't killed a part of her heart…which is what I knew had happened.

By the time late May was upon us, I found myself facing a dilemma of my own. Gracie and I were spending all our free time together, but we weren't 'dating.' I didn't know if she would ever want to date again given what she'd been through, but I couldn't handle trying to be friends with her anymore. I loved her too much. I wanted to be her boyfriend again. I wanted to make her laugh and smile. I wanted to see her sparkle with life like she used to.

One day, I decided to take a page out of Gracie's book. Plucking up my courage, I tracked her down on the beach. She was sitting on the same log she'd been on months ago when I told her I wanted to help her with the baby. She looked incredible, wearing a white skirt that flowed past her knees and a light blouse. But I was put on edge as I saw her frown, her gaze focused on the ocean.

"Hey," I said, announcing my presence. She looked over at me in surprise and then her face relaxed into a smile. My spirits instantly lifted.

"Hi," she returned. "You just get out of work?"

"About an hour ago. I went home and got cleaned up though," I added inanely. I was nervous, but I appeared relaxed as I sat next to her. We'd recently had some changes at the garage. Seth had sold his half of the business to move to Seattle, so Quil had promoted Azra and Brady as his business partners. It made sense, given they'd be his son-in-laws someday.

"I'm glad you found me," Gracie said.

"Oh yeah?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Gracie replied, biting her lip. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

I tensed. Swallowing nervously, I said, "Go ahead."

She reached inside her skirt pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to me, her expression full of trepidation.

I frowned as I took it from her and then felt my heart drop.

_Dear Ms. Uley, We are pleased to accept you to the University of Maryland…_

"What is this?" I questioned.

She hesitated before saying, "It's an acceptance letter."

My head jerked to hers. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah," she said, slowly nodding. "I think so."

And that's when my emotions broke. It felt like everything we'd been through—all the pain we had caused each other since I kissed her at Quil's wedding all those years ago—erupted inside me.

"What the hell is this!" I yelled as I got up and started pacing in front of her. "Why the fuck are you moving all the way across the county?"

"I need to make something of myself," she said in a pleading tone. "If he ever comes looking for me someday, I want to make him proud of me. I want him to know that I didn't just give him away for nothing. And the University of Maryland has a really good history program. I've been helping out Grandma Uley in the tribe's Cultural Affairs office since the New Year's incident, and I've grown to really appreciate my heritage. So that's what I want to do with my life…to preserve Native American culture. The college has a good history program, and I can also go on to their graduate school and get my Master's in Historic Preservation."

"So that's it? You're just going to go?"

"Ryan—"

"No!" I snapped. "You're not going."

I saw some of the old rebellious Gracie flash in her eyes as her chin lifted defiantly. "Why do you care? We're just friends, remember? Or at best, I'm your obligation."

"Fuck that!" I shouted right before I grabbed her. I yanked her up and brought her to me, my mouth crashing down on hers. I held her head to mine, making sure she couldn't escape me, but she didn't try to. Her hands slowly curved up to the back of my neck, her fingers shifting through my hair. I realized she wasn't fighting the kiss and my lips softened on hers, my tongue dipping inside her mouth. She moaned her approval and I felt her legs wrap around my waist.

I finally broke away and rested my forehead against hers. "Don't leave me," I begged. "Please don't leave me."

"Why?" she whispered.

"Because I'm in love with you," I finally admitted.

Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back. "Even after everything I put you through?"

"_Especially_ after everything. Because the last year has shown me that you're courageous and strong and beautiful. And it'll fucking rip out my heart if you leave me."

Gracie's chin trembled before she said, "I chose that school for you."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The University of Maryland is only about a half hour drive from Washington D.C. I was hoping you'd come with me. You could get your old job back. I know how much you loved it."

I looked at her in surprise. "Why would you do that?"

Gracie shrugged casually but I could feel her tension as she said, "Because I love you."

I looked at her, stunned, and then stated, "Grace, I'm going to marry you."

Her eyebrows shot up as she asked in a shaky voice, "Is that another proposal?"

I loosened my hold on her and her feet fell to the ground. I shook my head. "No, I'm not proposing."

"Oh," she said, her face turning red.

I grabbed her chin so that she would look at me. "Someday, I'm going to propose to you properly. I'm going to do it right, and not because it was something we _had _to do. It'll be because it's something we both _want_ to do. But for now…I'm going to accept _your _proposal. We'll go to Maryland together. I want you to have everything…every experience. So you can do the whole college thing—live in the dorms, join clubs, the whole bit. I'll get a nice apartment." I smiled at her before saying, "Then once you get settled, maybe we can even go on a date…or maybe a million dates. And when you're finally done with school, whether you're getting your Master's or Doctorate or whatever you want…then I'll propose to you. How does that sound?"

A small smile appeared on her lips and she slowly nodded. "That sounds like a good plan."

"We're going to do this then?" I needed the extra confirmation.

"Yes," Gracie replied and I knew she was saying yes to everything…to the future I laid out for us…to my future proposal. Grabbing my palm, she said, "Let's go tell my family the news."

And walking hand in hand, we took the first steps to starting the rest of our lives.

Together. As we were always meant to be.

* * *

**End Note**

LOL, you have no idea how conflicted I was over this chapter. I kept debating with whether Gracie should keep the baby or not, but after everything I'd put her through, I decided I wanted her to have a fresh start. I don't know…you guys can tell me if you liked her decision or not.

The final chapter is next! And in case you don't have me on author alert, I posted the first chapter of my new fic, "Strange Imprint: Seth's Story." This story is going to be the final installment of my _Imprint Saga_ before I retire from Twilight fan fiction. I hope you'll check it out!


	32. Light And Dark

_A heart to love, and in that heart, courage, to make's love known._

_William Shakespeare_

_Macbeth_

**Chapter 32 – Light and Dark**

_June 23, 2027- July 1, 2027_

Nate's POV

Meena and I walked hand in hand as we headed down one of the trails surrounding our house. It was nice to be outdoors. We were both in need of some fresh air.

The Cullens had descended upon us, and our house wasn't big enough to accommodate the whole clan. Luckily, after living in cramped corridors for a couple of days, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett decided to get a hotel room in Port Angeles.

But they wanted to be around for the big event. Though Meena was only just over eight months into her pregnancy, Carlisle had surmised that she could give birth at any moment. The truth was I felt pretty relieved Carlisle was staying with us.

We didn't know what we were facing. We couldn't hear the baby's heartbeat, but we knew it was alive because it was constantly moving inside Meena. The one time Carlisle tried to do an ultrasound, the machine blew up. Edward tried to read the baby's mind, but there seemed to be some type of barrier around the child.

I was getting anxious. I wanted Meena to get through the delivery safely. The inevitable had happened and she had recently turned immortal. They were basically going to have to rip her in half to get the kid out. Ness assured me several times though that Meena would be fine. The same thing had happened to her when she had the twins.

So though I was nervous, I was also excited to see my child for the first time. Aside from the fact that I'd have a little son or daughter, this baby was the future of the pack. I knew that because I could feel the Alpha vibe coming from it.

Strangely enough, it didn't affect me as badly as it had when I was around Gabe. Maybe it was because this baby wasn't a wolf yet. Or maybe it was because—as I learned in the situation with Gabe—if I loved someone enough, I could conquer anything. My love for Meena was a million times more powerful than any Alpha animosity I had towards Gabe. And if my child did phase someday, my Alpha power would diminish like my dad's had when I phased.

At least this summer was going a lot better than it had last summer, which was one less thing for me to worry about. There were still problems in the pack. Collin had been away from La Push for almost a year now and he wasn't showing any signs of coming back. Amber had moved to the rez, and she and Claire had opened up their art store. It was doing well, and Amber seemed to be getting by, though Claire told me she suffered from depression sometimes. I still had hope Collin would return. Both of their lives would be better once he claimed his imprint.

Paul's sons, Devlin and Sean, were spending quality time with their imprints now that they were all on summer vacation. Azra was…well, Azra. He'd always been a hard one to read, but whenever the pack families got together, there was a definite softening on his face whenever he held little Natalie.

Same with Will. He adored his little imprint Maggie. She was becoming best friends with his son Kyran, and as long as those two were happy, Will was happy. He had spent some time with the Cullens in Vancouver and it was enough to trigger his phasing again. Now that Will was a wolf, he had joined my pack.

Ryan and Gracie were planning on moving to the Maryland area in August. Gracie was excited to start school, and I was happy for her. I knew how difficult it was for her to give up her baby, but I was glad she finally stopped being self-destructive. Now, she was focusing on the positive. And Ryan, being inspired by his imprint, had decided to enroll in the University of Maryland as well. He was thinking about pursuing a Master's degree in Public Policy as that was the field he'd worked in before he moved back to La Push. He had also chosen to stop phasing and was now officially retired from the pack. But Ryan and Gracie had truly found their way back to each other and I was grateful. I knew Ryan would look out for my sister when they left La Push, and as they were so perfect for each other, I wasn't worried about their future.

Things were also improving for my brother-in-law. According to Leah, Lilly stopped running out of the room whenever Gabe showed up at their house. Gabe was ecstatic that he and his imprint were slowly becoming friends. Lilly, on the other hand, still referred to him as the "leech-lover" whenever she wasn't obsessively thinking about the cute dimple on his chin or his dreamy eyelashes—teenagers! I only had her patrol one day a week because she still lived in Portland…and it was nice for the pack to not be in a young teenaged girl's mind, which we were learning was a scary place to be.

So aside from Collin, the only other wolf that seemed to be struggling at the moment was Seth. His imprint was about to marry another man. I was keeping my fingers crossed for him though. Seth was a good person despite the mistakes he'd made in his love life. I hope things worked out for him. Just like they had for me.

I heard Meena breathe in deep and my gaze jumped back to her.

"How are you feeling?" I asked worriedly.

She laughed. "I'm fine. Just like I was ten minutes ago when you asked me that. I'm just enjoying the fresh air."

Thunder rang out in the distance. I looked up at the sky with a frown. The rainstorm we'd been promised apparently was about to make an appearance. "We should probably head back."

"Okay," Meena said just as the sky opened up and rain began to pour.

I walked ahead of my imprint, making sure there weren't any objects she could trip over like fallen branches or large rocks. The rain began to drench my skin.

"We better hurry," I said then realized Meena was no longer with me. Panicked, I turned around and saw her standing frozen in the middle of the path, her face turned up to the sky in confusion.

I ran back over to her. "What's wrong?"

"Nate, look at this," she said. She raised her hand up, turning her palm skyward. The rain ricocheted off her skin like raindrops hitting a windshield. My eyes widen. The water wasn't touching her. I looked at her head and noticed her hair was dry. It was like she had an invisible bubble around her.

"What the…" I started to say just as she grabbed my hand. I felt a strange buzz go through my skin and then suddenly I wasn't feeling the rain anymore or the dampness in the air.

"Are you doing something?" I asked.

"I don't have powers that can control the elements."

"Is that what's going on?" I questioned as my eyes traveled down to Meena's round belly. I had a strange feeling that whatever was happening had to do with the baby.

"I don't know," Meena murmured. "I know another vampire who can control the elements, but it's not a common gift."

I placed my hand on her protruding stomach. The buzz grew even sharper. My eyebrows drew together as I said, "Maybe we should call your friend in Alaska. The one that can tell what people's gifts are."

"Okay—" Meena started to say, but gasped right before she doubled over.

"Meena!" I yelled as I caught her.

"I-I think the baby is on the way," she muttered, her skin going abnormally pale.

I picked her up bridal style and raced back to our house. As soon as we were through the front door, I yelled, "Carlisle!"

Edward and Jacob jumped up from the couch and ran to me as Carlisle came down the stairs, looking professional and calm. He took Meena out of my arms and headed back up the way he came. We followed him and walked into a room we had designated as the delivery area. The Cullens had even imported a hospital bed and all the appropriate medical equipment. Carlisle laid Meena down on the bed and turned to face us. Esme, Bella, and Renesmee had come from the kitchen and were now standing behind me. The rest of the Cullen clan were still at their hotel.

"Edward, I'm going to need your help here," Carlisle said. Edward frowned as he read his father's mind and then he picked up Meena's arm and bit it at the elbow. Meena moaned and I went to push him away, but Jacob stopped me. My teeth clenched as Edward pulled away, revealing deep, bloody puncture marks in her skin. Carlisle grabbed a needle and shoved it in the wound. Meena's terrified eyes met mine briefly before they rolled in her head and she was knocked out.

"Did you give her enough?" Ness asked hesitantly from the doorway.

"We used enough to knock out a baby elephant," Carlisle replied. He looked at me and said, "I'm going to have to cut her open now."

I nodded weakly and Carlisle's eyes narrowed. He looked at Jacob and Edward. "Stand on either side of him. I can't be distracted if he tries to lunge for me."

"I wouldn't do that," I mumbled as the two men moved to stand by me.

"You're an imprinted Alpha about to witness something nasty. If you don't pass out, you're bound to get a little—err—overprotective."

He left the room briefly and I heard water running. He came back in wearing scrubs and latex gloves. I felt queasy as I watched Carlisle cut Meena's top away and then bite into her stomach, ripping her flesh apart. I took a step toward him to stop him, my instincts to protect going haywire. Edward and Jacob grabbed both my arms to hold me back.

"She's immortal now," Edward said lowly. "You can cut off a vampire's head and it'll reattach itself. She'll heal from this. But you need to let Carlisle do his job, or you'll be risking Meena and the baby's life."

I nodded and averted my eyes to Meena's still face. I tuned into her breathing and heartbeat, which were both steady. Like Renesmee, Meena's heart had continued to beat strong even after becoming immortal.

"Esme, can you please assist me?" Carlisle asked as he stepped back. I kept my eyes off the bloody mess that was Meena's stomach region, but god…the metallic smell of blood was awful.

Esme came over to us, grabbing a blanket on the way. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carlisle reach inside Meena. There was a flurry of motion after that, and suddenly a baby was being pulled out, the sound of crying filling the air. Carlisle bit the umbilical cord off and handed it to Esme.

"Congratulations, Nate. You have a son."

My eyes flew briefly to the baby in Esme's arms. "A son," I whispered.

She wiped at his face before she carried him over to me. She placed him against my chest and I awkwardly held him. My little boy's eyes flew open and I saw that they were brown like mine. He also had a tuft of dark hair. But as he stared at me, his face was so serious he reminded me of Meena.

"Wow," I murmured, completely enthralled. The baby in my arms was definitely an Alpha, but instead of wanting to attack or distance myself from him, I wanted to hold him close and keep him safe.

"Uh…Nate…" Carlisle said.

"Hmm?" I asked and looked over in time to see him reach inside Meena again. My jaw dropped as another baby was pulled out, this one a girl.

"But…but…" was all I could get out.

"Well, twins do run in the family," Jacob said with a jubilant pat on my back as Esme wrapped the other baby up in a blanket.

"I wonder…" Carlisle said as he went back to work on Meena.

"What?" Edward asked. "You think it's not genetics?"

"Oh, I'd say genetics are at play here, but I find it interesting that a half-breed like Ness had twins once she was immortal. And the same thing happened to Meena. If either of Nate and Meena's children experience the same results when they have children, I'd estimate that it might be a pattern we see from now on with this branch of the family."

He stepped away from Meena and I saw that he had pulled her skin back together and bandaged her wound. I knew he couldn't stitch her as the needle would never penetrate her skin. I glanced at my imprint, but she was still out cold.

"Do you have names picked out?" Renesmee asked. She was now holding my daughter in her arms.

"Yes, but I want to wait until Meena is awake before we announce them."

Renesmee smiled at me in understanding as Bella came over and gently took my son away so that they could feed them. Before they left, I went over and ran my hand over my daughter's head. She was identical to her brother with brown hair and dark eyes, but she definitely had Meena's bone structure. As everyone left the room, I pulled up a chair and sat next to Meena. She was still out cold and I clasped her hand in mine, bringing the back of it to my lips for a quick kiss before I rested my cheek against her soft skin.

I didn't move from my spot for the next hour, though I was given status updates. Both babies took to milk and were also venomous. Family members started to arrive. I knew the rest of the Cullens showed up, along with my parents, Gracie, and Ryan. Even Gabe came in—he must have run all the way from Portland, Oregon, which was where he currently lived. He came in to say hello and check on his sister, but she was still unconscious.

A couple hours after the delivery, Meena's eyes fluttered open.

"Hey," I said softly, leaning over to lightly brush her lips with mine. She looked at me in confusion then at her belly. I let her know, "The babies are here. They're fine."

"Babies?" she whispered.

"We had twins," I told her proudly. "A boy and a girl."

Tears filled Meena's eyes before they trickled down past her temples. "Like Gabe and me."

"Yeah," I told her.

Carlisle came into the room and examined Meena before pronouncing that she was on the road to recovery.

"My babies," Meena requested.

A few minutes later, Meena's family and my family piled into the room. Rosalie and Ness were holding the twins. They came over and handed our son to Meena. He took one look at his mom, made a cooing noise, and instantly fell asleep. Rosalie handed me my daughter. She looked like she was going to cry for a minute, but instead became fascinated with the ceiling light. It flickered as she stared at it.

"So what names did you decide on?" Alice asked curiously as she stood in her mate's embrace.

"We're going to name our son, Jacob Edward," I told them. "But to save confusion we'll give him a nickname. We thought we'd pull a Bella and combine the names. Take the _Jac_ from Jacob and the _E_ from Edward and call him Jace."

"Jace Uley," Jacob replied, sounding emotional. "Good name."

"Thank you for the honor," Edward said. If he could cry, I was pretty sure he'd be in tears.

"And for your daughter?" my mother asked tenderly.

"Emily Samantha," Meena said tiredly and my mom immediately turned weepy. "And for her nickname we're going to call her Mia."

"Mia and Jace," my father repeated before hugging me. "You did good. You'll both be fine parents."

A mini celebration broke out, but when Meena started to become too exhausted, I kicked everyone out. The women decided to go shopping in Port Angeles. We were only expecting one baby, so they were getting what we needed for our second child. The only one who didn't go was Gracie, who was looking strained after seeing the twins. Ryan said he was taking her home and my dad went with them. The Cullen men decided to go hunting. The only ones to stay behind were Carlisle, Ness, and Jacob. Carlisle wanted to keep an eye on his patients. Ness and Jake were helping with the babies while Meena rested.

By the next morning, my imprint was on her feet. We continued to have a steady stream of visitors over the next couple of days as the different pack members and their families stopped by to see the newest additions. Meena and I were just trying to survive.

If one twin wasn't crying, then the other one was. They seemed to want food constantly and with all the consumption taking place, we also had a never ending stream of dirty diapers. They had only one bottle of blood so far, which they both greedily sucked down, but it seemed as though their preference was milk.

I also noticed strange things kept happening since the kids' birth. After two days straight of very little sleep, I almost tripped on one of the kids' motion gym toys while going to pick up Jace. It did cartwheels away from me before my foot even made contact with it. I also had walked into a room on several occasions, and the lights would turn on before I could reach for the switch.

A week after the twins were born, I was snoozing in my living room chair when I heard Meena scream. I jerked awake and raced up the stairs. She was standing in the doorframe of the twins' room. She looked at me with frightened eyes and I could tell she was shaking. I ran over to her and froze.

Jace and Mia were standing in their cribs, smiling and giggling at each other. They didn't seem to notice that the other furniture in the room and their toys were spinning above their heads like something out of the movie _Poltergeist._

"Stop it!" I said shakily. "You're scaring your mother."

The kids looked over at us, matching concern on their faces. Everything fell to the floor, the furniture scooting back to its normal spots.

"Meena, I think it's time we call Eleazar," I said as calmly as I could.

"I think you're right," she replied hoarsely. We went in and each grabbed a twin, making sure they were all right. Though they were a week old, they looked closer to three weeks. They were fine, of course, both grinning as though nothing had happened.

"Wow," I muttered. "Can you believe they were standing already?"

Meena gave me an incredulous look before she burst out laughing. "After what we just witnessed, that's all you have to say?"

"What?" I questioned, though I hid my grin from her. "I think it's pretty amazing." I held Mia closer. "Who's daddy's advanced little girl?"

She responded by blowing spit bubbles at me.

The next day, Eleazar came into town. Things had been strained between the Cullens and the Denali clan since Gabe dumped Tanya, but she had recently met a nomadic vampire and the tension had eased slightly. Still, the atmosphere was uncomfortable as Eleazar came into the house with Carlisle. The rest of the Cullens were waiting, along with Jake and Ness, my parents, the other two Tribal elders, Sue Clearwater-Swan and Billy Black, and my beta Devlin. Gabe had tactfully returned to Portland. I knew he'd wanted to get back to his imprint anyway.

Eleazar walked over to me and shook my hand. "Nate, it's good to see you again. You've had quite a year since I saw you last at your wedding. How's school going?"

"Fine, thanks. The new semester starts in the fall, but I took the summer off so I could help with the twins."

"I'm glad to hear things are well," he stated before he went over and hugged Meena. He said hello to everyone else and then Meena led him to the two bassinets we had in our living room.

"This is Jace," Meena said. Eleazar bent down and picked up my son. Revulsion slithered down my spine. I didn't know this vampire very well and I didn't like him handling my child. Edward came over and patted my arm, having read every thought in my head. Jace merely stared at Eleazar inquisitively.

"Hmm…" the vampire said before a half smile formed on his face. He put Jace back in his bassinet, running his hand gently over the baby's head before he turned to face me. "You're known as protectors, yes?"

"Yeah," I confirmed.

"Your son is the result of two great Alpha lines joining together. He inherited the same fierce need that you have to protect those he's cares about. But for him, it isn't just a feeling. It's his gift. Your son is a protector…in fact, he's _the_ protector. That's his power. Your tribe will always be safe because Jace _wills_ it to be so. If he doesn't want a vampire within a hundred miles of La Push, they won't come near it. They could be headed straight for the reservation and walk miles out of their way without realizing it. If he doesn't want the Volturi to know your family, they could be in the same room as you, and they wouldn't even recognize you. And from what I've heard about your son, Jace has been using his powers since he was in the womb. Carlisle said he wasn't able to do any tests on Meena while she was pregnant, nor was Edward able to hear the twins' thoughts. That would have been Jace's doing. He wrapped his sister and himself in such a protective bubble, nothing and no one could get to them."

"I can hear their thoughts now," Edward said.

"Well, yes," Eleazar replied. "The twins aren't as vulnerable as they were while Meena was pregnant with them. He feels safe so he lets people in. But if he ever chooses to protect his mind from you, he could do it."

"Wait…" I said slowly. "What you're saying is that the tribe will no longer be in danger of the cold ones. No more kids have to phase. They can have normal childhoods."

"Exactly" Eleazar stated. "With Jace's birth, you will no longer have a need for the wolf pack…although that's something else you need to be aware of. If he chooses to continue the pack, your son will be Alpha someday. And I can pretty much guarantee he'll be the most powerful one you've ever had. I've never met someone who exudes so much power and that's saying something. He'll be more powerful than you and Gabriel combined."

"What?" I said with a disbelieving laugh. "Did we create some kind of super wolf?"

"Yes," Eleazar confirmed simply.

"I guess we really _do_ imprint on the people who will help us create stronger wolves," my dad stated in awe.

"Think about it, Nate," Billy Black spoke up. "This is a good thing. The rift that was caused in the pack when Sam and Jacob were given Alpha powers will cease to exist because your son is a combination of both lines. The pack will be able to go on with one true leader again—a Black/Uley Alpha." He looked at Jacob. "A member of our family will lead the pack once more—" He stated before glancing at my dad—"as will a member of your family. There will no longer be a divide."

I knew I looked as astonished as I felt. My son's existence would bring peace back to the Quileute wolves. More importantly, he would keep our tribe safe in a way our ancestors had never been able to accomplish.

"And our daughter?" Meena wondered.

"Ah yes," Eleazar went over and picked Mia up, looking into her eyes intently. He smiled, turned to us, and threw her hard to the ground.

Before we could react, Mia stopped before she hit the floor, levitating above the surface. She started floating in the air before returning to her bassinet with a yawn.

"What the fuck?" Emmett muttered.

I was half shocked, half tempted to kill Eleazar for what he'd just done. Through gritted teeth I said, "Would you care to explain what just happened?"

"She's a shield like Meena," he said. "But Meena's shield is physical. Mia's is an energy shield. She can manipulate the energy around her, which is probably what caused the ultrasound machine to blow up. The reason the twins' toys were floating around their room was because Mia was demonstrating her gift. Some would call it being telekinetic, but it's much more powerful than that. You'll want to keep an eye on this one."

I watched Eleazar's face closely. "What aren't you telling us?"

"She could be dangerous," he said. "With the snap of her fingers, she could set off a chain reaction that's more powerful than the atomic bomb. If human governments ever found out about her, they'd want her. Same with the Volturi. She's the ultimate weapon. Which is ironic."

"Why?" Meena questioned.

Eleazar looked at Jace and said, "The light"—then he looked at Mia— "and the dark. One meant to protect, the other meant to destroy. Keep them safe. Keep them both _very _safe. If Jace ever has to use his gift against his sister, I don't know if he would be successful. Gabe was always able to get through Meena's shield. Who knows if your twins will be able to penetrate the other's power? But as long as they grow up loved and cherished, they'll both stay on a path for good."

I nodded, wondering briefly what Meena and I had created. But I loved my children and I didn't regret their existence. In fact, as I stood in that crowded room, surrounded by those I loved, I felt myself relax—truly relax—for the first time since I became Alpha.

Because I realized something in that moment. I walked over to Meena and grabbed her hand. She looked at me with worry on her face, but it melted away when she saw my expression.

"Things will be fine," I whispered.

She nodded and said, "I know."

My instincts had always led me on the right course. And every instinct was telling me that Eleazar was wrong.

My daughter wasn't going to be a weapon someday. She was going to grow up strong. She was going to become the tribe's greatest defender.

And my son was going to lead the pack. With him, we'd have one rightful Alpha as we were always meant to. Thanks to his power to protect, generations would be safe.

So it didn't matter how stormy life got for us.

Knowing where the future was headed, I knew we were going to be okay.

**THE END**

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Mia's shield was inspired by X-Men (gotta give credit where credit's due). I know a lot of you were hoping for a female Alpha, but I've been planning Jace and Mia in my head for two years now, and I didn't want to change them. Plus, I love the idea that Mia could grow up to be either very bad or very badass. LOL, and no, I'm not writing their story. I'm going to post the rest of Strange Imprint and Renesmee's Promise (I posted the first chapter of that story yesterday—it takes place when Ness is a teen and is a prequel to Stormy). And then once Strange's last chapter is up, that'll be it for my fan fics.

Thank you to my beta Jessica for her help. Thank you to all my readers who gave a story about five original characters a chance. And I especially want to thank all of you who took a moment to leave reviews on my stories over the years. I want to try to get an original story published someday, and your feedback has really helped me figure out my own writing style and what works in my stories and what doesn't.

Now if you aren't interested in Seth or Renesmee's stories and this is it for us, thank you again for your support! I've really appreciated it!


	33. Author's Note - Original Story Update

Hello again! As some of you might know, I've spent the past couple of years working on an original story. A few of you asked me to notify you when it was complete. Well, I'm very excited to tell you that my novel is now available. Please see the synopsis below and check out my profile page for more details.

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**The Four Horsemen & The Elysium Tools: Conquest's Bow**

Libby Sinclair is unsure what to make of the new kid at school. Vinn seems like a nice guy, but there's something about him she doesn't trust. Bad things happen wherever he goes. It's only a matter of time before Libby discovers the truth. Vinn is a descendant of the White Horseman, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If called upon, he _will_ be the next Horseman.

Vinn battles daily with the power he's inherited. One slip of his temper could send him spiraling into a descent of destruction. When Vinn boards his horse at Libby's family farm, he realizes she might just be the key to solving a problem that has plagued the Horsemen for centuries.

When the original Four Horsemen came to earth, they were given weapons known as the Elysium Tools. Vinn was supposed to have inherited a bow, but it went missing years before he was born, the same time the other Elysium Tools disappeared. It's imperative that Vinn finds his bow. If the tools were to fall into the wrong hands, the results would be disastrous. As Libby and Vinn work together, they are exposed to a world of untold danger. And Libby will need to determine if Vinn is the monster she fears…or a man she could learn to love.


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